Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto is perhaps the most well-known cross-trainer among his peers at the position. He throws a javelin to keep his arm in shape, a tradition that predates his arrival in Los Angeles last year.
It was hardly a surprise to those who have seen Yamamoto's between-starts regimen when the 26-year-old pitcher made an athletic play at first base in the third inning of Monday's victory in Cleveland.
Yamamoto fielded a bunt to his left, then tagged out Will Wilson as the Guardians' rookie dove head-first into the base to avoid the tag — a rare unassisted putout for a pitcher.
However, manager Dave Roberts told reporters after the game that Yamamoto had “a little hip issue” after the play at first base.
That helps explain why the right-hander was removed after throwing 88 pitches through six strong innings in a 7-2 win.
“I don’t know if that kind of got into the mechanics in that fifth and sixth inning," Roberts said via Bill Plunkett of the Southern California News Group. "It just didn’t seem as fine. And then for me, I just felt that we pushed him a lot his last outing (110 pitches), so to kind of not push him to the fullest tonight made sense as he gears up for (his next start) Sunday (against the Yankees).”
Including his spectacular play at first base, Yamamoto retired 11 of the next 12 batters he faced. Not until the Guardians tagged him for a run in the sixth inning, when Jose Ramirez doubled and Kyle Manzardo brought him in with a single, did the Guardians get their second run of the game.
By then, the Dodgers led 6-2 and Roberts could confidently turn the game over to his bullpen.
The greater concern is whether Yamamoto's hip issue is serious enough for the Dodgers to push back his next start, either via an injured list stint or an extra day's rest.
If an 15-day IL placement is next for Yamamoto, expect the Dodgers to be aggressive and use the occasion to add a reliever to their bullpen sooner rather than later. If not, the Dodgers could potentially use Thursday's off-day to give Yamamoto extra rest between starts.
Yamamoto has made each of his last four starts on five days' rest, after making his previous five starts on six days' rest each.
