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Inside The Dodgers

Yoshinobu Yamamoto Named for Big Career-First Honor

Matthew Moreno|
Sep 18, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto (18) pitches during the fifth inning against the San Francisco Giants at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images
Sep 18, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto (18) pitches during the fifth inning against the San Francisco Giants at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images | Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

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Yoshinobu Yamamoto had a decorated career while pitching in Japan and added onto that through his first two seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The most notable moment during that time of course being closing out Game 7 of the World Series last year despite pitching on zero days of rest. Now, the right-hander is poised to add another accomplishment to his name.

According to David Vassegh of AM 570 L.A. Sports, manager Dave Roberts announced Yamamoto is going to start for the Dodgers in their Opening Day game against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Zac Gallen was named the Diamondbacks' Opening Day starter, which potentially will influence how the Dodgers put their lineup together. Specifically as it pertains to second base, where a position battle remains ongoing.

Given that the Dodgers started each of the last two years with an international series, this marks Yamamoto's first time pitching in the first game of the season at Dodger Stadium. Overall, it's his second career Opening Day start for the Dodgers.

Yamamoto is the first Dodgers pitcher to repeat as an Opening Day starter since Clayton Kershaw's streak of eight consecutive seasons doing so from 2011–18. 

Yamamoto's first season debut came last year in the Tokyo Series, which saw him hold the Chicago Cubs to just one run over five innings at the Tokyo Dome. Blake Snell took the mound when the Dodgers played their first home game in 2025, and Tyler Glasnow held the honor in 2024.

Meanwhile, the reigning World Series MVP is returning to Camelback Ranch this week after Team Japan was eliminated by Venezuela in the quarterfinals of the World Baseball Classic. Samurai Japan was looking to repeat as WBC champions and win the tournament for a fourth time overall.

Yamamoto has made two Cactus League starts thus far and also started two games for Japan. He allowed a combined two runs over 6.2 innings in those WBC outings.

It's presumed the Dodgers will have Yamamoto make a final tuneup in Spring Training at some point, but the date has not yet been decided.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto part of rare MLB history

Yamamoto is on track to join Scott McGregor (1984 Baltimore Orioles), Josh Beckett (2004 Florida Marlins), Madison Bumgarner (2015 San Francisco Giants) and Chris Sale (2019 Boston Red Sox) as pitchers who started the first game of the season after ending the one prior.

Part of Sale putting himself in that category was by pitching the ninth inning of the 2018 World Series as the Red Sox eliminated the Dodgers in Game 5.

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Matthew Moreno
MATTHEW MORENO

Matthew Moreno is a journalist from Whittier, Calif., who is the publisher of Dodgers On SI. Matthew has covered the Los Angeles Dodgers as a credentialed reporter since the 2014 season, which has included attending multiple World Series and All-Star Game at Dodger Stadium, among other experiences. Prior to joining Dodgers On SI, Matthew most recently was the Executive Editor of DodgerBlue.com and LakersNation.com.

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