The Los Angeles Dodgers rotation will get a major building block back next week.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto will return from the injured list Tuesday after being sidelined for nearly three months with a rotator cuff strain, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. told reporters on WednesdayHe will face the Chicago Cubs at home.
Yamamoto made two rehab starts before the announcement, pitching two innings in each for Triple-A Oklahoma City. He allowed three earned runs while striking out five and issuing two walks.
The return will be welcome news for a Dodgers rotation that has been ravaged by injuries all year. Clayton Kershaw and Tyler Glasnow are still trying to get back into the lineup, while Bobby Miller and Walker Buehler have struggled to find their form.
With the MLB playoffs less than a month away, the Dodgers are going to want as much clarity as possible given what happened last year, when the Arizona Diamondbacks feasted on a ravaged rotation.
Yamamoto was an early standout for the Dodgers after joining the team on a record-breaking 12-year, $325 million contract last season. He had a 2.92 ERA with 84 strikeouts in 74 innings over 14 starts before being injured in his final start on June 15.
The biggest concern about Yamamoto coming into the MLB was his durability. Injuries weren’t a problem during his career in Japan, but his small frame (5’11”, 175 lbs) and adherence to Japan’s weekly pitching schedule left some wondering if he could pitch every five days in the MLB. One injury doesn’t justify those concerns, but it does make his ability to finish the season important to his future.
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