It looks like Los Angeles Dodgers star rookie pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who is rehabbing a right rotator cuff strain, is getting closer to making his return to the mound. Manager Dave Roberts provided an injury update to Yamamoto's rehab on Friday.
“Yamamoto’s thrown twice this past week,” Roberts said. “He’s played catch out to 60 feet twice, and he’s supposed to play catch [Saturday]. There’s been no soreness, no pain. So he’s in a good spot.”
Yamamoto first started having issues with his shoulder after throwing an MLB-career-high 106 pitches and going seven innings in the Dodgers 2-1 win over the New York Yankees on June 7. Yamamoto then left his next start on June 15 against the Kansas City Royals early, only going two innings after experiencing that same shoulder tightness he felt in his previous start.
The Dodgers desperately need some help on the pitching front, as their starting rotation as been decimated with injuries. In addition to Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow, Clayton Kershaw, Walker Buehler, Dustin May, Emmet Sheehan and Tony Gonsolin are all also on the injured list. Sheehan and Gonslin are expected to be out for the season, while Yamamoto, Kershaw, Buehler and May are all working their way back.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto set to return soon?
Roberts' update on Yamamoto's rehab is very promising for the Dodgers. When Yamamoto first went on the IL, Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes told Jack Harris of the LA Times that it was “way too early to know” what sort of timeline he would have. The fact that Yamamoto is already throwing from 60 feet and hasn't experienced any setbacks is about as positive of a development as there could be at this point.
While Roberts still didn't give any specific dates, as long as there are no setbacks it would make sense to see Yamamoto return to the Dodgers rotation sometime in August.
Before heading to the IL in June, Yamamoto was looking like one of the best pitchers in the league. Through 14 starts and 74 innings, Yamamoto had a 2.92 ERA, 1.068 WHIP and struck out 84 batters.
This offseason, the Dodgers signed the 25-year-old Japanese phenom to a record-breaking 12-year, $325 million contract. While this current injury is disappointing, outside of that Yamamoto is looking like he was worth every penny of that deal. He should only continue to improve as he adjusts to Major League Baseball, and he may not even be in the prime of his career yet.
The Dodgers are still in first place in the NL West and have a healthy eight-game lead over the Arizona Diamondbacks and San Diego Padres, who are both tied for second, despite all of the injuries to their starting rotation.
After getting swept in last year's NLDS by the Diamondbacks, expectations are even higher this year for the new-look Dodgers to make a deep postseason run. No matter how well their offense led by superstars Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman is performing, they'll need their pitching staff, including Yamamoto, at 100%.
Roberts' most recent update on Yamamoto has it looking like the Dodgers are one step closer to getting that rotation back in order.
Follow Us
Subscribe