The Los Angeles Dodgers got a boost of positive energy Wednesday with the announcement of the return of right-hander and teammate Shohei Ohtani. Team principal Dave Roberts made an important statement regarding the player’s recovery.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who has been on the injured list since mid-June with a rotator cuff strain, will rejoin the team next week and start Tuesday’s game against the Chicago Cubs.
With 22 games remaining in the regular season, the Dodgers are still awaiting the return of Tyler Glasnow (elbow) and Clayton Kershaw (toe), though it’s uncertain if either will be fully recovered for the postseason. Yamamoto’s return adds depth to a rotation that already includes Walker Buehler, Jack Flaherty, Bobby Miller, and Gavin Stone.
“I think the stuff will be there,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said about Yamamoto via MLB.com, who’s made two minor-league rehab starts. “I’m not sure how the command is going to be. So the way we’re looking at it is that we’re going to get four starts from him before the postseason, and if we can log four starts and build up volume, we’ll be ready to go beyond that.”
Yamamoto will have a pitch limit in his return
In his two rehab starts at Triple-A, Yamamoto threw 31 and 53 pitches, so he will have a pitch limit in his first start back from the injured list next week. It’s estimated he will be able to throw between 65 and 70 pitches. In his last outing, he threw 53 pitches in just two innings, partly because veteran catcher Omar Narvaez made things difficult with a 17-pitch at-bat.
The Dodgers will use him as a limited starter
The Dodgers needed a temporary starter for next Tuesday, and in essence, Yamamoto, with a pitch limit, will be the first pitcher in what will function as a bullpen game. He is expected to pitch three or four innings, after which the bullpen will take over. Los Angeles will use right-hander Landon Knack as a temporary starter next Friday to give all pitchers extra rest.
Yamamoto had shown great form before the injury
The 26-year-old Yamamoto had a 2.92 ERA with 84 strikeouts in 14 starts and 74 innings before the shoulder injury. This includes a 2.34 ERA in 13 starts after his rough MLB debut in the Seoul Series, where he allowed five runs in one inning. The Dodgers signed him to a record-breaking 12-year, $325 million contract last offseason.
The Dodgers maintain the best record in baseball with 84 wins and 56 losses and have a 4.5-game lead in the NL West. Yamamoto’s return further strengthens their rotation and boosts their chances heading into the postseason.