Yamamoto’s return should boost Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto is confident in his return, having undergone a successful simulated game recently without a setback. To him, there is no reason he will not be able to pitch like he has this year for the Dodgers in a World Series out of belief.
“It was pretty good,” Yamamoto said, which indicated that he has been staying on schedule. Manager Dave Roberts detailed it: throw three more innings within the week, and then go on a rehab assignment.
“It’s one step at a time,” Yamamoto said, cautious, yet optimistic about possibly returning by September.
Yamamato, with Shohei Ohtani, was the biggest addition for the Dodgers this offseason. Their 12-year commitment to him, totaling a staggering $325 million, ranks him among the faces in their rotation. Before getting injured, Yamamato made 14 quality starts and struck out 84 batters in 74 innings pitched, owning a 2.92 ERA along with a 1.07 WHIP.
Unfortunately, that was not the only bad news for Dodger’s pitching staff as their other key pitchers were underwent through the same surgery as Spencer. Their names are River Ryan, Tony Gonsolin, Emmet Sheehan, and Kyle Hurt. On the other hand, Dustin May is out for the season with surgery for flexor tendon and esophagitis. All of these distraught are being counted due to injury as Tampa Bay’s Tyler Glasnow is also out with right elbow tendinitis.
If he can return to form and do so with weeks to spare before the postseason, Yamamoto could be the boost that the Dodgers’ bullpen sorely needs. Roberts indicated that his stuff looked sharp in the simulated game, mentioning that his pitches “from his hand, [were] coming with a lot of life.” From here, the hope is that he will continue to show improvement health-wise and the next step is working on his command and other elements of his pitching.
The Dodgers currently have a 3.5-game cushion in the National League West over both the Arizona Diamondbacks and San Diego Padres. Perhaps more importantly, with a division race that could potentially come down to the final days of the season, the Dodgers can’t afford to say no to added pitching depth. That could be an arm that turns out to be key in some crucial playoff spots, adding to the odds L.A. needs to win a World Series.
