As the Los Angeles Dodgers prepare for an anticipated run into the playoffs, one of their injured pitchers is getting closer to making his return. Yoshinobu Yamamoto has not pitched since June 16 due to a rotator cuff strain, but he threw a pain-free 17-pitch simulated game recently.
Manager Dave Roberts said the workout was “good,” showing optimism for Yamamoto’s progress. There remains a couple more practice sessions, and then Yamamoto can go to the minor leagues for a rehab assignment.
Before the injury derailed his season, Yamamoto was fashioning a sterling rookie campaign with the Dodgers. His 6-2 record, 2.92 ERA, and 84 strikeouts in 14 starts set him out as someone exceptionally talented and able to adjust to Major League Baseball.
Such a showing should not come as any surprise to many who follow his career. Yamamoto has been a dominating force in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball. Seven seasons in Orix Buffaloes, he is 70-29, throwing an ERA of 1.82, with 922 strikeouts.
He has been awarded five NPB All-Star appearances and three MVP awards in the Pacific League, as well as a Japan Series Championship. He has also managed to win the Japanese Triple Crown three times, making him an excellent hitter to go with what he does on the mound.
The bulk of his success has been in his international career, where he helped Japan to gold in the 2019 WSBC Premier12, the 2023 World Baseball Classic, and the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics.
One of his most incredible achievements in NPB history is that he pitched two no-hitters. He first did so in 2022 against the Saitama Seibu Lions, then again with a no-hitter in 2023 versus the Chiba Lotte Marines. Yamamoto stands alone in the history of NPB as the first player to ever accomplish this.
Unfortunately, Yamamoto is not the only pitcher in the Dodgers’ rotation injured. Right-handed starter Tyler Glasnow went to the 15-day injured list due to right-elbow tendinitis. Glasnow is expected back after a two-week stint on the IL.
This year is missing, incidentally, one of the best pitchers it produced in 2022: Tony Gonsolin, recovering from his Tommy John surgery, solves many of the rotation problems the Dodgers have had this season, and the team hope to see him replicate his innings on a big stage in the postseason.
