Dodgers' Roki Sasaki erratic in first spring training outing, gives up 3 runs over 1 1/3 innings

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander Roki Sasaki was hit hard and had a tough time finding the strike zone in his first spring training outing on Wednesday, giving up three runs, three hits and two walks over 1 1/3 innings against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

The hard-throwing Japanese pitcher is trying for a rotation spot after a breakout performance as a reliever in last year's postseason, when he helped the Dodgers win a second straight World Series.

He flashed his usual power fastball and splitter on Wednesday — striking out three — but just 17 of his 36 pitches were strikes. He also mixed in a cutter as he tried to add a third pitch to his arsenal.

“I thought he was overthrowing,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “I haven't seen that all spring. It's probably just getting into live competition. I thought he was a little too bullish on the fastball, but he was getting behind in the first inning.”

Sasaki gave up a hard-hit single to leadoff hitter Geraldo Perdomo, and Tim Tawa walked. With one out, Nolan Arenado hit a line-drive double to left that scored Perdomo. Ildemaro Vargas followed with another double, scoring Tawa and Arenado for a 3-0 lead.

After a mound visit from pitching coach Mark Prior, Sasaki struck out Jordan Lawlar and Ryan Waldschmidt to end the inning.

Sasaki struck out Druw Jones leading off the second, then walked Aramis Garcia and was removed. His fastball topped out at 98.6 mph.

Roberts said he wasn't drawing too many conclusions from one spring training outing, but also acknowledged that Sasaki's under a little more scrutiny than most players.

“I think the first thing is he’s got to mix better and command the fastball,” Roberts said. “I just attribute it to first-game adrenaline. But yeah, you want to see progress from everyone, especially someone like Roki who is trying to build off of last year."

The lanky 24-year-old entered his rookie year with a lot of fanfare in 2025, but didn't pitch much during the regular season, finishing 1-1 with a 4.46 ERA over 36 1/3 erratic innings. He appeared in 10 games, starting eight, and missed more than four months because of a right shoulder impingement.

Sasaki returned in September and became a key piece of the bullpen during the postseason, giving up just one earned run over 10 2/3 innings and earning three saves.

Sasaki agreed to a minor league contract with a $6.5 million signing bonus last offseason, becoming the 13th Japanese player to join the franchise.

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Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Roki Sasaki throws against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the first inning of a spring training baseball game Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026, in Scottsdale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Roki Sasaki (11), of Japan, pauses near home plate after Arizona Diamondbacks' Nolan Arenado, center, and Tim Tawa scored runs during the first inning of a spring training baseball game Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026, in Scottsdale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Roki Sasaki, of Japan, warms up prior to a spring training baseball game against the Arizona Diamondbacks Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026, in Scottsdale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Roki Sasaki (11), of Japan, gets a visit from Dodgers pitching coach Mark Prior, right, and Dodgers catcher Dalton Rushing during the first inning of a spring training baseball game against the Arizona Diamondbacks Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026, in Scottsdale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Roki Sasaki, of Japan, throws against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the first inning of a spring training baseball game Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026, in Scottsdale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

WASHINGTON (AP) — Vice President JD Vance announced Wednesday that the Trump administration would “temporarily halt” some Medicaid funding to the state of Minnesota over fraud concerns, as part of what he described as an aggressive crackdown on misuse of public funds.

Vance, who made the announcement with Dr. Mehmet Oz, the administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, said the administration was taking the action “in order to ensure that the state of Minnesota takes its obligations seriously to be good stewards of the American people’s tax money.”

Oz, who referred to people committing fraud as “self-serving scoundrels,” said the federal government would hold off on paying $259.5 million to Minnesota in funding for Medicaid, the health care safety net for low-income Americans.

“This is not a problem with the people of Minnesota, it’s a problem with the leadership of Minnesota and other states who do not take Medicaid preservation seriously,” Oz said.

Wednesday’s move is part of a larger Trump administration effort to spotlight fraud around the country. That effort comes after allegations of fraud involving day care centers run by Somali residents in Minneapolis prompted a massive immigration crackdown in the Midwestern city, resulting in widespread protests. President Donald Trump, in his State of the Union address on Tuesday, announced Vance would spearhead a national “war on fraud.”

Trump also recently nominated Colin McDonald to serve as the first assistant attorney general in charge of a Justice Department division dedicated to rooting out fraud.

Oz said the administration was simultaneously notifying Minnesota’s Democratic Gov. Tim Walz as he was making the announcement publicly.

“We will give them the money, but we’re going to hold it and only release it after they propose and act on a comprehensive corrective action plan to solve the problem,” Oz said.

He said Walz would have 60 days to respond and advised health care providers and Medicaid beneficiaries who were concerned to contact Walz’s office.

Walz, former Vice President Kamala Harris’ 2024 running mate, said in a pair of social media posts that the administration’s move had nothing to do with fraud.

“This is a campaign of retribution. Trump is weaponizing the entirety of the federal government to punish blue states like Minnesota,” Walz said. “These cuts will be devastating for veterans, families with young kids, folks with disabilities, and working people across our state.”

A spokesperson for Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, whose office investigates Medicaid fraud, referred questions to the state Department of Human Services, which administers Medicaid in the state. A department spokesperson said the agency was preparing a statement.

Earlier Wednesday, Ellison held a news conference to promote legislation that would give his office more staff and new legal tools to combat Medicaid fraud.

Oz said the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services were also taking action to crack down on fraud in Medicare, the health care system relied upon by millions of older adults.

He said CMS for six months would block any new Medicare enrollments for suppliers of durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics or other supplies used to treat chronic conditions or assist in injury recovery.

The Office of the Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services found last year that Medicare improperly paid suppliers nearly $23 million for durable medical equipment from 2018 through 2024. But it found that most of that was before January 2020, when changes to the system were implemented.

Oz also announced a new crowdsourcing effort he said would help “crush fraud” by soliciting Americans’ tips and suggestions.

“All of us are smarter than any one of us,” he said.

In a news release accompanying the announcement, CMS said the funding being paused in Minnesota included some $244 million in unsupported or potentially fraudulent Medicaid claims and about $15 million in claims involving “individuals lacking a satisfactory immigration status.”

Immigrants who are not living in the U.S. legally, as well as some lawfully present immigrants, are not allowed to enroll in the Medicaid program that provides nearly-free coverage for health services.

CMS said in the release that if Minnesota fails to satisfy its requirements, it may defer up to $1 billion in federal funds to the state over the next year. CMS spokesperson Catherine Howden said the agency's review of potential fraud cases would include sampling claims to see if they comply with federal requirements, and potentially requesting more information about specific claims.

Akeiisa Coleman, the senior program officer for Medicaid at the Commonwealth Fund, said CMS was taking a “highly unusual step" in deferring funding. She said if the state doesn't have enough funds available, it may have to halt payments to providers, which could affect care.

The administration has threatened to cut off funding for various programs for some Democratic-run states over fraud concerns over the last few months.

One judge blocked those actions and required that payments flowing to Minnesota and four other states — California, Colorado, Illinois and New York — for a variety of social service programs. The government had said that there was “reason to believe” that those states were granting benefits to people in the country illegally. It did not initially explain where that information came from, but a government lawyer told the judge it was largely in reaction to news reports about possible fraud.

Another judge said she would not let it cut off funding for administrative costs for 22 states that have refused to hand over information about applicants and recipients of food aid through the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program.

The latest action was prompted in part by a series of fraud cases, including a nonprofit called Feeding Our Future accused of stealing pandemic aid meant for school meals. Prosecutors have put the losses from that case at $300 million.

Since then, Trump has targeted the Somali diaspora in Minnesota with immigration enforcement actions and has made a series of disparaging comments about the community. During his State of the Union address on Tuesday, Trump said “pirates” have “ransacked Minnesota.”

Federal agencies have also been enlisted to assist in targeting fraud in Minnesota.

Last December, the U.S. Treasury Department issued an order requiring money wire services that people use to send money to Somalia to submit additional verification to the Treasury.

The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services told Minnesota in January that it intended to freeze parts of payments for some Medicaid programs that were deemed high-risk. The state said that those cuts would add up to more than $2 billion annually if they lasted and made an administrative appeal.

Associated Press writers Geoff Mulvihill in Philadelphia, Steve Karnowski in Minneapolis and Fatima Hussein in Washington contributed to this report.

Vice President JD Vance arrives before President Donald Trump delivers the State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress in the House chamber at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026. (Kenny Holston/The New York Times via AP, Pool)