The Los Angeles Dodgers have seen some struggles from the back end of their rotation this season, with inconsistency from Emmet Sheehan and Roki Sasaki.While both pitchers have been better as of late, Sasaki specifically continues to very much be a work in progress.Overall, the right-hander has made eight starts for the Dodgers this year, putting up an ERA of 5.88. Sasaki hasn't been able to go deep in games, and has struggled to put hitters away, leading to some big innings.Due to his issues, many have wondered why Los Angeles has kept him in the starting rotation, instead of moving him to the bullpen or sending him to the minor leagues.But to this point, the Dodgers have held firm on not making either of these moves, with the message about Sasaki remaining in the big league rotation staying consistent all year.Recently, Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman weighed in on Sasaki, discussing the high potential the team sees from him — and how they expect him to get there.“We definitely see him as a long-term starting pitcher,” Friedman said to The Athletic. “We are very firm believers that he has the ability and the upside to be an elite starting pitcher in this game.”While the Dodgers have remained firm on the stance with Sasaki, the results haven't been there quite yet. Sasaki has allowed at least three runs in five of his last six outings, and has made it past five innings just once.Even last season, Sasaki didn't have success as a starter, with him posting an ERA of 4.72 across 34.1 innings. But in the postseason, he became very effective being used out of the bullpen, registering an ERA of 0.84 over 10.2 innings and recording three saves.It's clear Sasaki has struggled as a starting pitcher in the big leagues to open his career, and he will need to figure out how to navigate this moving forward. The Dodgers seem to be giving him a long leash, but with the organization's goals of winning the World Series, Sasaki can't continue to be a weak spot in the rotation.With the injuries to Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow, though, Sasaki's place in the rotation isn't going away any time soon. Thus, it will be up to him to figure things out, and at the very least, give the Dodgers a chance to win in each of his starts.The Dodgers are very confident that the future is bright for the 24-year-old Sasaki — it may just take some growing pains for him to reach his full potential.Sign up for our free newsletter and follow us on X/Twitter and Facebook for the latest newsAdd us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow