Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto was in the midst of a special rookie season before a rotator cuff injury sidelined him. The 26-year-old has already reached the phase of his recovery where he faces live hitting. His progress is continuing nicely.
Yamamoto posted a 2.92 ERA over the first 14 starts of his MLB career, shaking off a bad debut to piece together what could have been an All-Star campaign. He hasn’t pitched since June, working hard to return for the World Series hopefuls. Each step of the way seems to be positive. He felt good after tossing a simulated game of two innings, according to Beth Harris of the Associated Press.
“The feeling was pretty good,” Yamamoto said through a translator, via AP. “Everything is starting to come all together…It's one thing at a time. I'm going to throw some games in September and then let's see.”
Yoshinobu Yamamoto excited to return to Dodgers
Pitching depth is always a concern for the Dodgers when the postseason arrives. Their history of injuries has often left them without their best starters and compromised their chances of going on deep runs. At least Yamamoto will seemingly have the chance to enter October healthy.
“The ball was coming out of his hand with a lot of life,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said, according to AP. “It seems like he’s healthy. As long as he recovers well, then we start homing in on the command and all that other stuff.”
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The good news for Yamamoto will make Los Angeles happy after seeing the rough news about Tyler Glasnow, whose stint on the injured list, caused by elbow tendinitis, may be extended. This is an unfortunate development for the other big-name pitcher that LA landed this offseason.
As long as his injury recovery continues to go well and he isn’t too rusty after missing several months of the season, Yamamoto will give the Dodgers a great chance to win in the playoffs.
