The Los Angeles Dodgers’ rotation will get an important member back next week.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto will return from the injured list on Tuesday after missing nearly three months with a rotator cuff strain, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. He told reporters on WednesdayThey will face the Chicago Cubs at home.
Yamamoto made two rehab starts before the announcement, pitching two innings in both for Triple-A Oklahoma City Baseball Club. He allowed three earned runs, struck out five and walked two.
The return will be welcome news for a Dodgers rotation that has been plagued by injuries all year. Clayton Kershaw and Tyler Glasnow are still trying to get back into the fold, while Bobby Miller and Walker Buehler are struggling to get back into shape.
With less than a month until the start of the MLB postseason, the Dodgers will want as much clarity as possible given what happened last year, when the Arizona Diamondbacks feasted on a devastated rotation.
Yamamoto excelled in the early years of the Dodgers after joining the team on a record 12-year, $325 million contract for a pitcher last season. He posted a 2.92 ERA with 84 strikeouts in 74 innings over 14 starts before getting hurt in his final start on June 15.
The biggest concern surrounding Yamamoto when he arrived in the MLB was his durability. Injuries were not an issue during his career in Japan, but his smaller height (1.78 m) and weight (79 kg) and adherence to the Japanese weekly pitching schedule had some wondering if he could pitch every five days in the MLB. A single injury does not justify those concerns, but it does make his ability to finish the season important for his future.