Roki Sasaki starts against Diamondbacks after Braves win

Los Angeles Dodgers rookie Roki Sasaki earned his first major league win against the Atlanta Braves, despite ongoing struggles with fastball command and swing-and-miss rates. Sasaki allowed three earned runs over five innings, bringing his season ERA to 3.86 and his WHIP to 1.45 across seven starts. Notably, his fastball has produced one of the lowest whiff rates in baseball among pitchers with at least 50 batters faced, leading both Sasaki and Dodgers coaches to acknowledge the need for adjustments. The Dodgers have been managing Sasaki's workload carefully, generally giving him at least six days' rest between starts, but he is scheduled to pitch on five days' rest for the first time due to a busy team schedule. While Sasaki has shown potential by mixing in other pitches effectively, his fastball's current shape and spin profile are not generating the desired results, and improvements may be required for sustained success at the major league level.