The Los Angeles Dodgers have a clear game plan for Roki Sasaki—and it's all about the long game.

Despite a rocky start to the 2026 season, the team is doubling down on keeping the young Japanese right-hander in the rotation. His most recent outing against the San Francisco Giants on Monday was another middling performance, but the Dodgers see much bigger things ahead.

"We definitely see him as a long-term starting pitcher," Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman told The Athletic. "We are very firm believers that he has the ability and the upside to be an elite starting pitcher in this game."

Sasaki's numbers so far haven't matched that elite billing. Through 15 career MLB starts, he posted a 4.72 ERA in 2025 and has stumbled to a 5.88 ERA through his first seven appearances in 2026. But the Dodgers view these struggles as a necessary part of his development—a bridge to the dominant arm they believe he'll become.

"I 100 percent appreciate and get that right now, fans don't care at all about three years from now or five years from now," Friedman acknowledged. "But when we get there, they definitely will. So it's incumbent upon us to do everything we can to maximize the now, while also doing everything we can to put ourselves in the best position in the future, as well."

There's a clear pattern to Sasaki's outings: he's nearly untouchable early, then unravels. Over his seven starts this season, he's allowed just two total runs in the first two innings—and none in the first. The trouble comes when batters see him a second or third time through the order.

With only three pitches in his arsenal—a fastball, forkball, and a newly developed slider—hitters begin to adjust. That limited selection makes him more predictable the deeper he goes, and any mistake gets punished.

Interestingly, that early-inning dominance is exactly what made Sasaki a postseason fan favorite in 2025, when he thrived as a reliever out of the Dodgers' bullpen. For now, though, the organization is committed to letting him grow through the growing pains—trusting that the payoff will be worth the wait.