The Los Angeles Dodgers are getting some bad news. Team pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto is going on the 60-day injured list, per USA Today. The pitcher isn't expected to be back until mid-August at the earliest.
Yamamoto has been injured for a good while. The pitcher is dealing with tightness and soreness in his triceps. The Dodgers are hoping he can be healthy for the latter part of the season, as the club pushes forward for a chance to win the National League pennant.
The move to put Yamamoto on the 60-day injured list seems a bit strange, considering the comments from Dodgers manager Dave Roberts on Friday.
“Yamamoto’s thrown twice this past week,” Roberts said on Friday, per MLB.com. “He’s played catch out to 60 feet twice, and he’s supposed to play catch [on July 13]. There’s been no soreness, no pain. So he’s in a good spot.”
Yamamoto and the Dodgers this year
It doesn't seem that Yamamoto is in a good spot. The hurler is going to be out of the lineup for at least another month, which absolutely takes the winds out of the Dodgers sails. On the season, Yamamoto holds a 6-2 record with a 2.95 ERA. This is his first season with the Dodgers. The Japanese hurler also posted 84 strikeouts this year, in 14 starts.
The Dodgers broke the bank to bring the pitcher into the fold this offseason. The team agreed to spend more than $1 billion on Yamamoto, along with slugger Shohei Ohtani. Yamamoto has shown flashes of his brilliance this season, with a fastball as fast as a lightning bolt. That hard-hitting pitching seems to also have a downside, as it has caused some medical issues with his arm.
Yamamoto last appeared for the Dodgers on June 15. Since he's now out until at least August, the pitcher will be certainly rusty when he returns in the late summer. Dodgers fans are desperately hoping he is able to pitch again this season, as his presence immediately adds a lot of depth to the rotation. The team is likely to be looking to add some pitching before the July 30 trade deadline, due to this injury.
The Dodgers hold a 56-40 record on the season, heading into Sunday's games. The team is first in the National League West standings. Los Angeles has a mountain of pressure on them to make the World Series this season, due to the large amount of money spent on those offseason signings. With Yamamoto hurt, it certainly takes a hit on the team's chances of success. Los Angeles must now shift its strategy to put itself in position for a deep postseason run.
Los Angeles is bringing in right-hander Brent Honeywell to help out, with Yamamoto out of the rotation. Time will tell how the team decides to use Honeywell in upcoming games. If Honeywell is able to pick up a few victories, it will perhaps quell the team's appetite for a free-agent signing.
The Dodgers are in action against the Detroit Tigers, at time of writing.
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