Yoshinobu Yamamoto's impressive rookie MLB season has been derailed by a shoulder injury. Fortunately for the Los Angeles Dodgers phenom, it shouldn’t knock him out for the rest of the 2024 season.

The last appearance for Yamamoto came back on June 15. He was pulled from that start after two scoreless innings with what the Dodgers called tricep tightness. Now being moved to the 60-day injured list following a stint on the 15-day IL, the journey back will be a long one for the 25-year-old. The good news is that he has been able to get going without many problems.

According to Alden Gonzalez of ESPN, Yamamoto has been playing catch with longer distances and made it clear that he wants to make it back this season. The team hopes that he can make it back with roughly a month or so left in the regular season.

The Dodgers, owners of a record of 59-41, have a commanding eight-game lead over the rest of the NL West. Yamamoto's injury won’t sink their chances of making the playoffs, especially with Shohei Ohtani still around and launching moon shots as a part of a loaded lineup. But once the postseason rolls around, Yamamoto may be one of Los Angeles' most important players.

Dodgers' Yoshinobu Yamamoto aiming to resume strong rookie season

After dominating in Japan, Yamamoto has been as good as advertised for the Dodgers. In 14 starts/74.0 innings, he has a 2.92 ERA, 2.67 FIP and 84 strikeouts. He allowed just one run in his final 15 innings before going down. His Cy Young award potential has been made clear right away.

Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic noted that Yamamoto said that he isn’t feeling any pain right now, a great sign for his return. Although he’s still in the earlier stages of his recovery program, it's promising that he isn’t dealing with any pain or early setbacks. Being able to return with a runway to ramp up for the postseason will be huge, too, as Los Angeles finally looks to win it all in a non-shortened season.

Fortunately for the Dodgers, their pitching rotation is going to get healthier before Yamamoto's hopeful return. Tyler Glasnow and Clayton Kershaw will respectively start on Wednesday and Thursday in a series against the San Francisco Giants. Los Angeles should still consider pitching upgrades ahead of the July 30 trade deadline, though, as Walker Buehler and James Paxton may not be reliable for the postseason. Adding another starter may be a worthwhile addition.