Roki Sasaki addressed reporters after his outing against the Brewers, noting that his bullpen session beforehand had not felt entirely sharp, though he stopped short of calling it particularly bad. He explained that once the game began, something felt slightly off whenever he tried to apply more effort into his pitches, a sensation he carried into the early innings.
Asked about a moment in the second inning where his balance appeared to shift and his velocity seemed to dip, Roki Sasaki said he did not believe the two were connected. He suggested that his performance simply reflected whatever state his body was in at that particular time, rather than pointing to any single mechanical cause.
Regarding the decision to continue into the sixth inning after his pitch count passed 90 through five innings, Roki Sasaki said there was no specific conversation with his manager about extending his outing. He indicated that, from his own perspective, continuing into the sixth felt like the natural plan all along, and he prepared accordingly without needing any additional instruction.
On the topic of managing his workload as the season passes the 20-start mark and moves toward its final stretch, Roki Sasaki said he does not feel major physical concerns at this point. He emphasized that staying healthy while maintaining a high level of performance requires him to prepare in a way that allows him to produce the necessary effort under whatever condition his body is in on a given day.
Reflecting on being described as having endured through the outing, Roki Sasaki connected the experience to lessons learned earlier in the year, pointing to a spell where his outing nearly unraveled before he was able to make an in-game correction. He said he views that correction positively, but stressed that with September and the postseason approaching, that kind of situation cannot be allowed to happen, adding that he intends to keep sharpening his craft daily to reduce the chances of it recurring.