GLENDALE, Ariz. — So much for getting in your work in the relaxed atmosphere of the Arizona sunshine.

All eyes were on Tyler Glasnow’s final Cactus League start Saturday against the Chicago White Sox as the team moved closer to Wednesday’s departure for Japan and the upcoming season-opening games March 18-19 against the Chicago Cubs.

Glasnow still is expected to pitch in one of two exhibition games in Japan, and again in one of the three Freeway Series games against the Angels from March 23-25. The Dodgers are now looking for some results amid the chaotic schedule.

“I think this is an important start that I expect him to have that preparedness, be ready to go and to pitch well,” manager Dave Roberts said Saturday before Glasnow took the mound. “It’s not just a run of show. I expect him to be good today.”

Glasnow obliged by striking out six over three innings, while throwing 53 pitches. The only run he allowed was a home run in the second inning by former teammate Miguel Vargas.

“Felt pretty good,” Glasnow said. “I think the rhythm early on wasn’t as good as the next two innings, but I felt sharp for the most part.”

The right-hander was a solid 9-6 with a 3.49 ERA in 22 starts last season, with his season coming to an early close due to injury issues that have plagued his career. Glasnow did not pitch after Aug. 11 because of elbow tendinitis.

“I think with Tyler, my opinion is he gets too mechanical at times and does not let his natural athleticism and compete kind of drive his outing,” Roberts said. “I think this spring, that’s where he’s been. He’s freed himself up a lot more this spring.”

Roberts added that Glasnow continues to operate injury-free after struggling with soreness last season.

“I think the main thing with Tyler is, after starts and sometimes during starts, he didn’t feel comfortable with his arm and there was some residual (discomfort),” Roberts said. “So right now, it’s really free and easy and he’s recovering really well.”

In Japan, Glasnow will face either the Tokyo Giants or the Hanshin Tigers. Off the field, he can’t wait to experience the spectacle that will come with the Dodgers’ arrival and the homecoming of Shohei Ohtani.

“Ohtani’s like Justin Bieber times 10 over there, so it’s probably going to be insane,” Glasnow said.

WELCOME ABOARD

The smiles on the mound Friday night are what confused the family of Dodgers right-hander Matt Sauer the most.

Roberts turned Sauer’s disappointment into a smile after a roller-coaster outing Friday against the Seattle Mariners that started well before the pitcher ended it by allowing four runs in the ninth inning without recording an out.

“I got into the clubhouse right after the game and my dad and my wife had already texted me like, ‘We need to know what that conversation was,’ ” said Sauer, who noted that he happened to have 10 family members at the game.

The conversation was Roberts breaking the news to Sauer that he would be on the traveling roster for the team’s trip to Japan. Whether or not he is on the active roster for the two games against the Chicago Cubs in a week and a half, he still will earn a $70,000 bonus.

While being extended to a third inning Friday, Sauer’s ERA ballooned to 8.22 in four spring outings. He also has eight strikeouts and one walk in 7 2/3 innings. The former New York Yankees top prospect could end up being another key bullpen find by the front office. He was also a starter as recently as 2023.

“The staff here, in the offseason, everything we talked about where I could become a great pitcher just clicked with me and I felt this would be the best spot for me,” said Sauer, who had his first taste of the major leagues with 14 innings for the Kansas City Royals last season. “So far, I’ve been loving it.”