Roki Sasaki, a Japanese pitcher, made his season debut for the Dodgers in a 4–2 loss to the Cleveland Guardians. Despite not being a disaster, Sasaki pitched four-plus innings without embarrassing himself. His performance was met with mixed reviews, with manager Dave Roberts stating that his place in the rotation should be evaluated on a start-by-start basis rather than immediately. Despite comparisons to Paul Skenes at his introduction to the Dodgers, Sasak's stock has since dropped significantly. He has also been criticized for losing his signature forkball and throwing meatballs for which the Guardians failed to punish him. Despite these setbacks, he remains hopeful about improving his performance.