The Los Angeles Dodgers left for their short road trip on Sunday night but the team flight to Denver did not include Roki Sasaki or Yoshinobu Yamamoto, among others.
It was a particularly curious development with Sasaki considering his status as the listed probable for the series finale against the Colorado Rockies. Sasaki remains on track to start Wednesday at Coors Field after joining the team two days later than their arrival.
“Just so it’s one less night here,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts explained on SportsNet LA.
The Dodgers medical staff believes it is beneficial for players to subject themselves to the high altitude in Denver for as little as possible. Combating the effects the Mile High City can have on a person’s body is what it all comes down to.
It’s a challenge that visiting NFL teams must confront when playing the Denver Broncos. There are two main schools of thought when it comes to tackling the issue from a sports science standpoint.
The first is to arrive earlier than the scheduled game in hopes that it will help athlete’s bodies acclimate to the altitude. The second is to arrive as late as possible to avoid the worst effects taking hold during the competition.
There is nothing that can be done for position players or relievers, but the Dodgers decided to take the second approach with Sasaki.
It is especially important to give starting pitchers as many advantages as possible because of the effects high altitude has on the baseball itself, making Coors Field an extremely hitter-friendly ballpark.
Roki Sasaki’s history at Coors Field
Sasaki made his first career start against the Rockies this season on April 19, which was also his first career start at Coors Field. The right-hander allowed three earned runs on seven hits with two strikeouts and two walks over 4.2 innings of work.
Sasaki has shown a lot of growth on the mound as the season has progressed and it will be interesting to see how he handles the challenge four months later.
He has been particularly effective since switching to a larger glove, which has helped him avoid tipping pitches. The 24-year-old has a 2.50 ERA with 33 strikeouts over 36 innings in his last six outings.
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