Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Roki Sasaki Makes Admission After Dodgers' Loss to Guardians

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Joey Mistretta | Last updated Mar 31, 2026 12:17 PM ET

The Los Angeles Dodgers were defeated by a final score of 4-2 on Monday night. Dodgers starter Roki Sasaki, who struggled in 2026 spring training and for most of his rookie season in 2025 aside from the playoffs, performed well for the most part on Monday. Sasaki allowed only one run across four innings pitched. After the game, Sasaki made an admission about his confidence level, via Katie Woo.

"I actually didn't have confidence at all," Sasaki said via interpreter.

It was an extremely honest admission to say the least. Sasaki features more than enough talent to become a successful big league pitcher. He is still working on the confidence element of the game. Baseball is unquestionably a game that requires confidence to find success.

The good news is that Sasaki performed well on Monday. Perhaps the outing will help his mindset moving forward. If Sasaki is able to figure everything out, it would not be surprising to see him emerge as a star in the future.

Dodgers Lose to Guardians on Monday

Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts (30) © Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Dodgers' offense never found a rhythm against the Guardians. LA was held scoreless until the 9th inning. The Dodgers were able to push a couple of runs across against Guardians closer Cade Smith, but Cleveland ended up holding on for the 4-2 victory.

Of course, offense is not a concern for this Dodgers ball club. Sure, there will be a few games where things do not click. Overall, the lineup looks more like an All-Star team than a normal baseball ball club. The Dodgers are going to bounce back and score runs.

The biggest takeaway from Monday's contest was Sasaki's outing. He was not dominant on the mound, but he worked around some trouble and turned in a respectable performance. While he has yet to meet the lofty expectations that were presented upon him last year, Sasaki has still displayed signs of taking the next step forward. Los Angeles is not going to give up on him anytime soon.

Rōki Sasaki, 98mph ⛽️ pic.twitter.com/WZKLHCAXRg
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) March 31, 2026

The Dodgers will continue their three-game series with the Guardians on Tuesday with first pitch scheduled for 10:10 PM EST. Los Angeles and Cleveland will play once again on Wednesday night at 8:20 PM EST.

Los Angeles will look to get back on track on Tuesday night at home. Shohei Ohtani will start the ball game against Guardians ace Tanner Bibee.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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