According to multiple local media, including Japan’s “Sponichi Annex,” Sasaki reported on the 1st (Korea time) that he will return as a starter in the 2024 Japanese professional baseball game against the Seibu Lions at ZOZO Marin Stadium in Chiba Prefecture.
With Yoshinobu Yamamoto (LA Dodgers) and Shota Imanaga (Chicago Cubs) wearing major league uniforms, Sasaki is currently receiving the most attention and attention among the players who play in Japanese professional baseball. Sasaki, who made his name worldwide by achieving a perfect game in 2022, proved his competitiveness once again at the 2023 World Baseball Classic (WBC).
Last year, however, Sasaki suffered a setback in her reputation. She started friction with the club over whether to advance to the Major League after the season ended. At the time, Sasaki hoped to join Yamamoto and Imana in the big leagues. However, Chiba Lotte was adamant that it has never played a full-time season, and more importantly, it does not have any significant “benefit” in posting fees if it advances to the Major League through an international amateur contract.
Due to this issue, Sasaki received tremendous criticism from local media as she failed to negotiate her salary right before the departure of the spring camp. Of course, the same applies to fans. As a result, Sasaki set her season goal of “full-time starting rotation” this year based on her first goal of advancing to the Major League. She wanted to prove her health and win the Chiba Lotte Championship before challenging herself to the big leagues. However, Sasaki’s dream failed from the beginning of the season.
After struggling with one run (one earned run), including eight strikeouts in seven innings against the Softbank Hawks on May 24, he was moved down to the second division due to fatigue recovery problems while preparing for his next appearance. After taking a two-week rest, Sasaki returned to the mound on June 8, exactly the 15th day of the game against the Hiroshima Toyo Carp, and pitched six innings of one run (non-earned) to harvest his fifth win of the season. However, again, Sasaki was moved down to the second division due to problems such as recovery of upper body fatigue.
His second departure was fatal amid a flurry of media reports in the U.S. that Sasaki will play in the Major League after the end of this season. The coach was also exasperated with Sasaki’s “glass body” issue. “I was told that I would not be able to take the mound on Thursday for rest, so I have to cancel it. If you find it difficult to throw after taking a break on Thursday, you cannot throw it,” manager Masato Yoshii said.
Sasaki, who disappeared from the first division after the match on June 8, finally caught the ball on the 12th. He pitched once. Nevertheless, Yoshii did not mention the timing of Sasaki’s return, but the head coach, who watched Sasaki play bullpen pitching on the 20th, announced his intention to start Sasaki against Seibu on August 1. As he has not played live pitching, there are concerns about his sense of play, but Yoshii intends to immediately put Sasaki into practice.
According to Sports Hochi, Sasaki threw about 20 pitches from the bullpen on Sunday. In response, Ono, the pitching coach, said, “I think I threw well, regardless of the affected area. I think I’m ready for live pitching. From now on, the games that I can’t afford to lose will continue. I hope you can throw pitches that bring victory to my team,” and Yoshii said, “I will probably throw only about 70 to 80 pitches. Once I throw and recover well, I will start rotation of rest for six to seven days.”토토사이트 추천
Chiba Lotte is ranked second in the Pacific League with 47 wins, 6 draws and 39 losses and a 0.547 winning rate at the end of the game on the 31st. It is not easy to narrow the gap with the first-place Softbank because the magic number (42) is already on, but it is only two games apart from the third-place Nippon Ham Fighters and four games apart from the fourth-place Rakuten Golden Eagles, so it is essential to defend the ranking.
Chiba Lotte acquired 103 wins in the Major League on the 30th, and threw a “winner” by recruiting Dallas Keuchel, who even embraced the Cy Young Award. In the meantime, if Sasaki recovers his health and form and joins the team, it will be worth playing with Softbank in the postseason. Although his goal of “full time” has not been achieved, it remains to be seen whether Sasaki, who will return in the second half of the year, will be able to make the big league stage after putting Chiba Lotte on the “Thrones.”