Making his spring training debut on Tuesday night, Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Roki Sasaki lived up to the billing. Pitching against the Cincinnati Reds, Sasaki

YouTube Jake Mintz and Jordan Shusterman recap Roki Sasaki’s spring ball debut for the Los Angeles Dodgers in which he threw three shutout innings. What can we expect from the Japanese phenom this season?

On Tuesday, Reds hitters and MLB fans got a chance to see why.

Sasaki reaches 99 mph with his fastball, a significant improvement over his bullpen sessions and live batting practice. “This is the best we’ve seen him,” Dave Roberts says.

After entering to begin the fifth inning following the completion of countryman Yoshinobu Yamamoto's night, Sasaki delivered three shutout innings, surrendering two hits and a walk and plunking a batter. He struck out five of the 13 batters he faced, requiring 46 pitches along the way.

The Dodgers will test that floor from the outset, with Sasaki slated to pitch the latter of the two games against the Chicago Cubs in Tokyo and expected to be in the starting rotation thereafter. Roberts confirmed that was still the Dodgers’ plan Tuesday, as Sasaki pitched for the first time in Cactus League action against the Cincinnati Reds.

In three scoreless innings, the Monster of the Reiwa Era allowed two hits, walked one, hit a batter and struck out five against the Cincinnati Reds. He appeared in relief of countryman Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who allowed two hits in four innings.

The Hot Stove crew breaks down Roki Sasaki's first Spring Training outing against the Reds, his pitch selection and more

It’s rare that spring training debuts come with as much hype as Roki Sasaki’s first appearance for the Los Angeles Dodgers did, but Sasaki isn’t your typical MLB rookie. Sasaki pitched his first game in Dodger blue on Tuesday,