Los Angeles Dodgers right-handed pitcher Roki Sasaki gave fans a sneak peek of the new clubhouse following the renovations to the stadium done throughout the offseason.
The focus of the said offseason remodel was on the clubhouse, which had not been updated in over a decade, but there were also minor updates to the plaza. Team president Stan Kasten confirmed Dodger Stadium would be ready by the time the Dodgers returned from their play in Japan.
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“We have tinkered around the edges for fans like adding a couple new things in the plaza, which has become such a smash popular area, something we opened in the last five years,” Kasten said. “This was about the long overdue renovations to the clubhouse, adding another batting cage, making the clubhouse kind of a more modern clubhouse … Twelve years ago when we did it the first time, we were state-of-the-art and there’s an arms race among teams that are always competing with each other and we had become no longer state-of-the-art. Now, we’re top of the pyramid again in terms of areas for players to train, areas for them to practice, tools for both coaches and players, modern technology that wasn’t available 12 years ago. We’ve also built in adaptability for things that might be coming down the road in the next five or 10 years. That was overdue, and it’s going to be great.”
The Los Angeles Dodgers signed free agent RHP Sasaki to a minor league contract. January 22, 2025. He has been nicknamed “the Monster of the Reiwa Era” and the 23-year-old has recently marked his MLB debut with the Dodgers.
After numerous in-person meetings that whittled down an initial field of 20 interested teams, Sasaki earned his way onto a roster teeming with talent. Making his first appearance during Game 2 of the Tokyo Series in his native country, he pitched three innings, striking out three while yielding one hit, one run, and five walks. His performance and impressive locker signal a promising start in a league that eagerly anticipates his growth.
