Yamamoto has been named the starter for Game 5 of the NLDS against the Padres on Friday, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.
Manager Dave Roberts had previously said that Yamamoto would pitch in some capacity, though it was unclear whether that would be as a starter or in a shorter stint. It appears that the Dodgers intend for him to work as a traditional starter in Friday's contest, though he's yet to pitch more than five innings in any of his five starts since returning from the injured list.
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Dodgers' Yoshinobu Yamamoto: Now starting Game 1
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Yamamoto is starting Game 1 of the NLDS against San Diego on Saturday, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.
Yamamoto was originally slated to start Game 2, but he'll flip spots with Jack Flaherty. If the series goes a full five games, Yamamoto is projected to pitch in the decisive contest. He's pitched well in his return from a triceps injury, allowing two or fewer earned runs in three of four starts.
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Dodgers' Yoshinobu Yamamoto: Taking mound for Game 2
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Yamamoto will start Sunday in Game 2 of the NLDS against San Diego, Jeff Sanders of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.
Yamamoto allowed eight earned runs over six innings across his two appearances against the Padres during the regular season, though it's been nearly six months since he last faced the division rival. More recently, the 26-year-old righty turned in a 3.38 ERA and 21:5 K:BB over 16 frames following his return from the injured list Sept. 10.
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Dodgers' Yoshinobu Yamamoto: Earns seventh win
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Yamamoto (7-2) picked up the win over Colorado on Saturday, allowing two runs on four hits over five innings while striking out six.
Yamamoto got knocked around a bit early on, giving up singles to three of the first five men he faced before also surrendering a solo homer to Ezequiel Tovar in the bottom of the third. The right-hander did, however, manage to retire seven consecutive batters from that point on before being relieved by Justin Wrobleski to open the sixth. It marked Yamamoto's longest outing since June 7, while he didn't issue a free pass for the first time in his last three starts. He now carries a 3.38 ERA in September to go along with a robust 21:5 K:BB.
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Dodgers' Yoshinobu Yamamoto: Wild day on mound
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Yamamoto did not factor into the decision in Sunday's 6-5 win over the Rockies, allowing four runs on five hits and three walks while striking out four over three innings.
Yamamoto was unusually wild in Sunday's outing, walking three batters for the first time in his MLB career and throwing just his second wild pitch all season. The Rockies nearly batted around the order against him in the first inning, which led to three runs before later adding a fourth in the third. It was the 26-year-old righty's worst outing in three starts since returning from the injured list, and he lines up for a road rematch in Colorado this weekend. Yamamoto now owns a 2.96 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 99:22 K:BB in 85 innings during his rookie season.
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Dodgers' Yoshinobu Yamamoto: Throws four scoreless Monday
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Yamamoto did not factor into the decision in Monday's 9-0 win against Atlanta, allowing four hits and two walks with three strikeouts over four scoreless innings.
Yamamoto generated a solid 10 whiffs on 72 pitches but also threw just 42 strikes. Despite the shaky control, the 26-year-old was able to increase his workload from 59 pitches Tuesday and has not allowed an earned run over eight innings in his two outings since returning from the injured list. On the season, he owns a 2.63 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 95:19 K:BB across 82 innings and lines up for a favorable home matchup with the Rockies this weekend.
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Dodgers' Yoshinobu Yamamoto: Will not pitch on four days' rest
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Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Monday that Yamamoto will not pitch on four days' rest for the rest of the regular season and postseason, Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.com reports.
Four days is considered "normal" rest, but Yamamoto has had at least five days off in between all 15 of his starts this season, a schedule which mimics what he was used to when he pitched in Japan. Even amidst their numerous rotation injuries, the Dodgers are not willing to alter the plan for the rookie right-hander down the stretch. Assuming Yamamoto sticks to a five-day rest schedule, he'll still line up for two starts this week. After he takes the hill Monday in Atlanta, Yamamoto would be on track to make his next start Sunday versus the Rockies at Dodger Stadium.
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Dodgers' Yoshinobu Yamamoto: Strikes out eight in return
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Yamamoto did not factor into the decision in Tuesday's loss to the Cubs, allowing one run on four hits while striking out eight over four innings. He did not issue a walk.
Yamamoto looked electric in his first start since June 15, striking out eight through three innings and registering an impressive 41 percent CSW rate on 59 pitches. His only troublesome inning was in the second when the Cubs strung together three singles to bring home their only run against him. Yamamoto will likely continue to build up his pitch count as the Dodgers gear up for another playoff run and he has a great matchup ahead of him against the Marlins next week. The 26-year-old now owns a 2.88 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and 92:17 K:BB in 78 innings this year.
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Dodgers' Yoshinobu Yamamoto: Works two innings in rehab start
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Yamamoto (triceps) tossed two innings in his rehab start for Triple-A Oklahoma City on Tuesday, allowing two runs on two hits and two walks while striking out three batters.
Yamamoto was slated to go three innings in the outing, but his pitch count got up to 53 after two frames, so he didn't return for the third. The elevated pitch count was largely due to a 17-pitch at-bat that ended in a walk against MLB veteran Omar Narvaez. While Yamamoto's final stat line was far from impressive, he did throw 36 of his 53 pitches for strikes and sat at 95-to-96 miles per hour on his fastball, so the overall takeaway was mostly positive. It's not yet clear if the right-hander will be asked to make an additional rehab start or if his next game action will be with the big-league club, though the former is probably more likely given the Dodgers' general preference to be cautious with injuries to their starting pitchers.
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Dodgers' Yoshinobu Yamamoto: Goes two innings in rehab start
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Yamamoto (triceps) allowed one run and struck out two over two innings in his first rehab start with Triple-A Oklahoma City on Wednesday.
Yamamoto surrendered a solo home run but nothing else, throwing 31 pitches over his two frames. The righty's velocity was down across the board, although that's not necessarily surprising for his first start in more than two months. The plan is for Yamamoto to make a couple more rehab starts before rejoining the Dodgers' rotation in mid-September.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Sunday that Yamamoto (triceps) will start a rehab assignment Wednesday with Triple-A Oklahoma City, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.
It's the final stage of the rehab progress for the Japanese right-hander, who has been sidelined since mid-June due to triceps tightness. Yamamoto has recently thrown a few simulated games and should be ready to cover at least a couple frames in his first rehab start. The Dodgers are targeting mid-September to bring him back from the injured list.
Yamamoto (triceps) could begin a rehab assignment Wednesday, David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports reports.
Yamamoto has been eyeing a mid-September return and will advance to a minor-league rehab assignment next week if his next bullpen session goes well. The right-hander has been sidelined since June 15 and is expected to throw three simulated innings in the bullpen session. He'll likely require multiple rehab starts before being activated from the 60-day injured list.
Yamamoto (triceps) threw about 40 pitches during a bullpen session Tuesday and is scheduled to face hitters Friday, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.
The right-hander continues to build toward a rehab assignment, and Friday's session could go a long way toward clearing him for game action. Yamamoto will likely require multiple outings in the minors before rejoining the Dodgers, so he shouldn't be expected to be reinstated until at least the end of August.
Yamamoto (triceps) threw a 20-pitch bullpen session Saturday, Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times reports.
Yamamoto has been sidelined since June 16 with right triceps tightness, and the bullpen session was his first since he was placed on the injured list. Manager Dave Roberts said afterward that he was "excited about (Yamamoto's) command and velocity." Yamamoto has no exact timetable for his return, but if he's able to continue to progress without any setbacks, he could be activated from the 60-day IL in the next month or so.
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Dodgers' Yoshinobu Yamamoto: Lacks clear timeline for return
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Yamamoto (tricep) said Sunday that he's been playing catch out to 200 feet, but he has yet to receive clearance for mound work and admitted that he's without a clear timeline to return from the 60-day injured list, MLB.com reports.
Yamamoto is eligible to come off the IL on Aug. 15, but the Dodgers don't seem to be counting on him returning at that time, with Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.com instead suggesting that the team is "holding out hope" for him to resume pitching in the big leagues in late August or early September. The Dodgers will get two key members of the rotation in Tyler Glasnow (back) and Clayton Kershaw (shoulder) back from the IL this week, and the club is seemingly banking on those additions being enough to stabilize the pitching staff until Yamamoto eventually returns to the mix. After signing Yamamoto to a lavish deal this past winter, the Dodgers are cognizant of prioritizing his long-term health and ensuring that he's in optimal health by the time the playoffs begin in October. Yamamoto still appears on pace to return before the end of the regular season, but if absence extends into September, fantasy managers in redraft leagues with limited or no IL spots might not be able to justify holding him.
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Dodgers' Yoshinobu Yamamoto: To play catch next week
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Yamamoto (shoulder) will begin playing catch next week, Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times reports.
Yamamoto has been shut down from throwing since being diagnosed with a right rotator cuff strain June 16, but he will resume a throwing program in the coming days. The 25-year-old is no longer feeling pain in his shoulder and seems to be on track for an August return.
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Dodgers' Yoshinobu Yamamoto: Nearing throwing program
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Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Thursday that Yamamoto (shoulder) has been working with a plyo ball and could resume throwing soon, Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times reports.
Yamamoto has made progress in his rehab and was described as pain-free Wednesday. Assuming that remains the case, he's expected to start playing catch again before the All-Star break, likely meaning he won't return before August.
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Dodgers' Yoshinobu Yamamoto: IL stint probable
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Manager Dave Roberts said Saturday that there is a "high probability" Yamamoto (triceps) will be placed on the 15-day injured list, Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times reports.
The rookie right-hander indicated he didn't think the injury was anything serious after being pulled from Saturday's start. While Yamamoto will undergo further evaluations Sunday before an official move is made, it seems likely that the triceps tightness will require Yamamoto to miss a few starts, even if an IL move is mostly precautionary. Luckily for the Dodgers, Bobby Miller (shoulder) is set to come off the IL this week and rejoin the rotation.
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Dodgers' Yoshinobu Yamamoto: Next start pushed back
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Manager Dave Roberts said Wednesday that Yamamoto's next start will be pushed back from Thursday against the Rangers in Los Angeles to Saturday's home game versus Kansas City, Kirsten Watson of Spectrum SportsNet LA reports.
The Dodgers haven't announced a replacement starter for Thursday's contest, but they will give the rookie right-hander an extra couple of days to rest up after he threw a season-high 106 pitches across seven scoreless innings during his last outing against the Yankees on June 7. The 25-year-old has put up a 2.50 ERA and 1.11 WHIP alongside a 22:5 K:BB across 18 innings over his last three starts.
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Dodgers' Yoshinobu Yamamoto: Cruises to win
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Yamamoto (6-2) allowed a run on seven hits and a walk while striking out seven over six innings to earn the win over the Rockies on Saturday.
Yamamoto bounced back from a loss his last time out with a strong performance. He's earned quality starts in four of his last six outings, allowing 13 runs over 37 innings in that span. The rookie right-hander has a 3.32 ERA, 1.12 WHIP and 76:14 K:BB over 65 innings across 12 starts this season. Yamamoto is projected to make his next start on the road versus the Yankees, which is a formidable matchup.
