Dave Roberts Evaluates Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s First Season With Dodgers
The Dodgers signed starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto as a free agent in the offseason, inking him to a 12-year, $325 million contract. Despite being the highest-paid MLB pitcher, Yamamoto is still a rookie with much to learn in the new league.
“I think it’s been a very good learning year for Yoshinobu in the sense of the grind of a long season, a Major League season; learning hitters, Major League hitters; what plays and what doesn’t play,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said.
Before joining the Dodgers, Yamamoto played in the Nippon Professional League in Japan since 2017. He was a three-time Pacific League Most Valuable Player and three-time Triple Crown winner. Yamamoto was also a gold medalist at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.
Roberts added that the Dodgers organization has prioritized mirroring Yamamoto’s training routine from Japan.
“Big picture, I think that the organization, I think from the front office to the coaches, we’ve done a great job as far as making sure he keeps his routine or his schedule that he’s been accustomed to,” Roberts said. “And that’s something that we agreed upon when we signed him.”
Although maintaining a similar pitching schedule, Yamamoto strained his rotator cuff. The Dodgers placed him on the 60-day injured list, and he was sidelined for nearly three months.
“Having that little injury, kind of being on the IL was tough for him, for all of us,” Roberts said. “But to come back with such great intent, urgency has been great to see.”
Yamamoto returned on Sept. 10, keeping his ERA under 3.00 for the remainder of the regular season. In his first postseason, Yamamoto held the Padres scoreless in Game 5 to win the National League Division Series. Roberts said the postseason experience will be beneficial to Yamamoto’s future in the league.
“And just to get him in the postseason, I think that’s been pretty exciting. Those are things he can sort of build on for the next, what, is it, 10, 12 years,” Roberts said.
Yamamoto will remain in a Dodgers uniform until 2035, giving him ample time to develop into the ace for Los Angeles. This postseason, though, he’s already starting to show signs.
He’ll have another chance to write his postseason legacy in Thursday’s NLCS Game 4 vs. the Mets.
Photo Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
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