Dodgers Will Likely Change Yoshinobu Yamamoto's Schedule, Says Dave Roberts

Dodgers ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto is set to pitch more often for the team, which has been careful not to overwork him.

Yamamoto has been living up to the extremely high expectations he set from Japan this season, maintaining an ERA of 0.90, with 49 strikeouts and only 13 walks.

He earned the National League Pitcher of the Month award for his performance in April, and his first start in May continued right where he left off in April.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto: NL Pitcher of the Month! 'Dominant' doesn’t even begin to cover it.
Photos taken at Dodger Stadium — the dream's in motion. @Dodgers pic.twitter.com/071Cngke42
— Tony Sibrian (@tonysib16) May 4, 2025

After throwing 91 pitches over six innings, Yamamoto was removed from the game against the Braves to allow him to pitch on five days' rest, instead of the six or more days the Dodgers have provided him this season.

“There is a very good possibility that he goes a day shorter than he normally does," Dave Roberts told the media after Friday's game against the Braves.

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A five-day rest from Friday would have him returning to the mound on Thursday against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

The Dodgers have several key pitchers from both the bullpen and the rotation who are currently injured. However, their extended time off is intended to limit potential risks and to allow for a gradual recovery, ensuring that they return only when fully prepared.

This approach has caused the Dodgers to reach deep into the organization's depth. Yamamoto ramping up his starts would allow for help holding down the fort until other players start to get healthy, and his underlying metrics indicate he can handle some additional pitching.

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When looking at Yamamoto's fastball velocity, it still averages 95.5 MPH, the same as last season, but he is throwing it four percent less often, instead mixing his pitches with increased use of the cutter, slider, and sinker.

He has also relied on the curveball and slider less frequently. His new pitch mix is yielding a career-best 32 percent strikeout percentage.

Given that it is not an uptick in velocity generating swings and misses, but rather his pitch mix, shorter rest should not be a significant factor considering how well Yamamoto is mixing his pitches.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Expelliarmus 79mph Curveball. 🪄 pic.twitter.com/bkWzSYF7Mv
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) May 2, 2025

His 0.90 ERA is unsustainable, considering his expected ERA is currently at 2.47, which means it will likely approach that number soon. However, that would still be an incredible ERA, especially given his high number of strikeouts and low number of walks.

Through seven starts, he has generated a WAR of 1.4, ranking fourth among pitchers. If he can sustain this level of performance for the rest of the season, he will be a strong favorite for the National League Cy Young Award.

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