Yoshinobu Yamamoto Will Make Rehab Start For Dodgers This Week

Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto is set to take the next step in his injury rehab this week as he makes a rehabilitation start with Triple-A Oklahoma City. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Sunday that Yamamoto will make the start on Wednesday, via The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya.

The date for the rehabilitation start comes two days after Roberts said that Yamamoto was still on track for a return in the middle of September.

“I think so,” Roberts said Friday of Yamamoto returning in September. “If it’s the three innings, and then he goes out and does three or four innings on rehab, and then we’ll be able to make a decision.”

Yamamoto has continued to make progress through his throwing program and return from a strained rotator cuff that he kept him out since June. The 26-year-old has completed multiple live batting practices and completed a two-inning simulated game on Wednesday against 19-year-old prospect Jaron Elkins.

Yamamoto will now progress to pitching in a minor league game, the next step before a possible return. Prior to his injury, Yamamoto was 6-2 with a 2.92 ERA and 84 strikeouts across 14 starts. He last started for the Dodgers on June 15 against the Kansas City Royals but was only able to pitch 2.0 innings before he was removed from the game.

Heading into that game on June 15, Yamamoto had been given two extra days of rest before his start, but the rest was not enough. Yamamoto was placed on the injured list shortly after, and later transferred to the 60-day IL.

Yamamoto is in his first season of Major League Baseball after signing with the Dodgers on a 12-year, $325 million deal last December. He emerged as one of the top international free agent prospects after playing Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan, where was a four-time ERA leader and a four-time strikeout champion over seven seasons in NPB.

Photo Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

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