The Los Angeles Dodgers made the call to have Yoshinobu Yamamoto not pitch during Tuesday’s All-Star Game after much deliberation.
Yamamoto makes his last start before the All-Star break on Saturday, July 11, against the Arizona Diamondbacks, and then, he won’t pitch until after the midsummer classic.
The Dodgers had been weighing how feasible it would be for Yamamoto to pitch, especially given his hunger to make as many starts as possible.
“For me, that’s a read-and-react. Let’s just get him through his start and we’ll see how he feels. And also, if he really wants it and it makes sense. Then we’ll have that conversation,” Roberts said Wednesday.
Since the Dodgers had a bullpen game on Friday, the Dodgers will need some length from their Japanese ace, and he will likely empty the tank on Saturday.
Despite not pitching, Yamamoto will end up attending the festivities down in Philadelphia, according to manager Dave Roberts.
How good has Yamamoto been in 2026?
Yamamoto had a slower start than usual this year, which is honestly to be expected for someone who pitched so much in the postseason and took very little time off.
He went right back into training after a short period to wind down, wanting to keep his body moving and maintain his fitness levels.
His WHIP was at 1.009 in the first month, but it has since fallen considerably. He had just a 0.635 WHIP in June, which included his near no-hitter.
Yamamoto’s WHIP is up a bit from there in July, but he remains elite at limiting hits and walks, while keeping hitters guessing.
He went seven innings on the Fourth of July, allowing just three hits, two walks, and striking out 10 batters, showing how great he can be when his pitch mix is working.
“He looked like an All-Star. He came out with a purpose. You could see the intent tonight. Execution really good from pitch one and gave us a chance to really reset the bullpen and gave us length and pitched like an All-Star.”
