Dodgers Star Pitcher Takes Life-Changing Step Amid Spring Training
Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Roki Sasaki announced he got married via an Instagram post.
The post featured two Dodger hats laying on the grass.
“Thank you for your continued support,” Sasaki wrote (the caption was translate from Japanese to English). “The other day I entered into the family with a common woman. A fresh start in public and private sector and I’m full of expectations and anxiety. We will work hard as a couple, so please keep a warm eye on us.”
Sasaki has followed in the footsteps of Dodgers teammate Shohei Ohtani in more ways than one. The rookie phenom made the jump to MLB the same route as Ohtani. The now Dodgers duo joined stateside baseball as international amateurs, meaning they were not eligible to sign a free agent contract.
Instead, Sasaki was limited to signing a minor league contract with a signing bonus.
The 23-year-old also made his signing announcement via social media, just like Ohtani. Sasaki had kept teams and baseball fans waiting for his final decision. The pitcher took to Instagram to share he would be signing with L.A.
And now, Sasaki has shared he is married through Instagram. Ohtani made a similar announcement on social media last season when he married his wife, Mamiko Tanaka.
Sasaki has only just started his MLB journey, and will have his wife beside him as he faces the biggest challenge of his career.
Padres Sign Former Dodgers, Yankees, Diamondbacks Outfielder
The San Diego Padres have made another spring training addition.
On Thursday, the Padres re-signed outfielder Tim Locastro to a minor league deal, he told Robert Harding of the Auburn Citizen. Locastro is joining the team at spring training as non-roster depth. He’s expected to start the season in Triple-A, but is perfectly fine with that.
“I think that’s a good thing,” Locastro said to Harding. “Obviously I’m coming off shoulder surgery. I still want to have a good spring training, but I don’t have to go all out and risk injuring myself early in the process. I’m looking at it as a blessing in disguise.”
Locastro signed a minor league deal with the Padres last offseason, too. He played well across 33 Triple-A games, slashing .333/.449/.479.
However, he suffered a dislocated shoulder on a steal attempt, and ended up undergoing surgery to repair it. He’s now fully healthy and ready to compete in spring training.
Locastro, 32, began his career back in 2017 with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He appeared in 21 games across two seasons with the Dodgers, before spending two-plus seasons with the Arizona Diamondbacks.
He most recently played with the New York Yankees at the MLB level, appearing in 47 games across parts of three seasons from 2021-23.
Now, Locastro is hoping to get back to the MLB level, and will look to do it with the Padres.
Locastro has a carer slash line of .228/.327/.337 with 37 extra-base hits and 38 runs batted in across 290 games. His most productive season was the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, when he slashed .290/.395/.464 across 33 games.
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