Dave Roberts Announces Second Start Date for Star Pitcher
Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts confirmed Yoshinobu Yamamoto will make his second Cactus League start on Wednesday against the Chicago White Sox at Camelback Ranch.
The start will come exactly one week after his Cactus League debut.
Yamamoto impressed with his near-perfect debut against the Texas Rangers. He gave up one hit and struck out three of the six batters he faced in two complete innings.
The right-hander threw 19 pitches total — 16 for strikes — and left the baseball world in awe with a filthy splitter that made the Rangers look silly.
In total, Yamamoto threw 11 four-seam fastballs and was clocked between 94-96 mph. He threw three curveballs, all of which went for strikes. Yamamoto also threw the splitter and cutter, showing why he won the Eiji Sawamura Award three consecutive years in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball league.
The 25-year-old signed a $325 million contract, making him the highest-paid pitcher in the sport's history — all before he throws his first pitch in Major League Baseball.
Earlier in camp, Roberts said Yamamoto and right-hander Tyler Glasnow were safe bets to start the Dodgers' two season-opening games against the San Diego Padres in Seoul, March 20-21.
March 20 is a Wednesday, and it's easy to see Yamamoto pitching every seventh day between now and then, making him the Dodgers' Opening Day starter.
Yamamoto was on the typical Japanese starter's schedule of throwing once a week during his seven seasons in NPB (2017-23). From the moment he signed his contract, Yamamoto's schedule was subject of intrigue: would the Dodgers attempt to adapt him to a 5- or 6-man rotation in MLB, or attempt to keep him on a weekly schedule?
For now, it appears the Dodgers will ease Yamamoto into the workload in the first year of his 12-year contract.
