Yoshinobu Yamamoto & Roki Sasaki’s bonding moment takes center stage at Dodgers Spring Training camp

There has been considerable chatter around the Los Angeles Dodgers the entire offseason following their World Series win last year. The trend continued at the Dodgers' Spring Training facility at Camelback Ranch-Glendale in Phoenix on Wednesday.

Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani drew a crowd of over 1000 fans earlier during his first BP session with the team this spring. It was the turn of his compatriot Roki Sasaki on Wednesday as he had his first live batting practice session with the NL West team.

He was seen deep in conversation with his other Japanese teammate, Yoshinobu Yamamoto during Wednesday's training workout. His conversation seemingly drew plenty of attention.

Roki Sasaki became an international free agent after he was posted by the Chiba Lotte Marines for MLB teams last year. The Dodgers won the Sasaki sweepstakes after an intense battle for the 23-year-old Japanese ace.

With Shohei Ohtani expected to return to the mound at some point this year, likely in May, Dodgers fans could expect to see the trio of Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Sasaki become a feature of the rotation.

Roki Sasaki expected to make his Dodgers debut in Tokyo Series against Cubs

Roki Sasaki, who had his first live batting practice with the team on Wednesday, is preparing for the Dodgers' upcoming Tokyo Series next month. Manager Dave Roberts confirmed last week that Sasaki and Yoshinobu Yamamoto will be pitching for the team against the Chicago Cubs in Tokyo.

"I think it's fair to say that Yamamoto's gonna pitch that first one," Roberts said. "With Roki … the plan is for him to pitch there. We'll figure out when. A lot of it is more contingent on the unknown of how he responds to Spring Training and his buildup, and we just want to make sure that he's in a good position and feels good about when he pitches."

Although Sasaki emerged as one of the best young pitchers during his NPB stint, he'll likely need some time to adjust to the major leagues. He got his first feel of pitching for an MLB team on Wednesday.

“I wasn’t nervous," Sasaki said after the batting practice. "But facing hitters for the first time using a Major League ball, and pitching in a game environment for the first time in a while, I was just sort of feeling out how it would go, getting used to being back in the flow of a game.”

It'll be interesting to see how the Dodgers introduce Roki Sasaki to the MLB, although they have the best possible environment for him with Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto supporting the young ace.