Dodgers' Yoshinobu Yamamoto: Starts playing catch

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Friday that Yamamoto (shoulder) played catch from 60 feet twice this week, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

It's an encouraging step for the right-hander, who had been shut down from throwing since he landed on the injured list with a rotator cuff strain in mid-June. Yamamoto will need to build his arm strength up before he returns to throwing off a mound. He's likely not particularly close to a return, as he'll need multiple rehab starts before rejoining the Dodgers.