Los Angeles Dodgers fans are worried that Roki Sasaki might be hurt.
Even if he isn't, his very early, small-sample-size trends are concerning in his first MLB season.
Sasaki lasted just 1.2 innings on Saturday against the Tigers. He allowed two runs and struck out two.
The Japanese phenom walked four, one of the worrying trends. The Tigers didn't chase as Sasaki tried to use his nasty stuff well outside the zone to induce swings-and-misses.
Maybe even more concerning has been Sasaki's velocity. In his season debut in Japan, he averaged 99 miles per hour on his first inning fastballs.
On Saturday, Sasaki's fastball velocity was 96mph on average, still fast but the kind of decline that brings up concerns about stamina and health.
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The Dodgers will likely continue to be uber-cautious with their latest big-name acquisition, and so far, their bats have done more than enough to win baseball games, anyway.
But the L.A. Faithful are certainly hoping for Sasaki to be as good as advertised sooner rather than later.
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