Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s Second Start Date for Dodgers Revealed

Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts revealed that Yoshinobu Yamamoto will make his second Cactus League start for the Dodgers next Wednesday, March 6 against the Chicago White Sox, via The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya.

His second Dodgers start will take place one week after he made his Cactus League debut against the Texas Rangers. It won’t be easy for the former NPB star to top his debut as Yamamoto was phenomenal in his first MLB action. Yamamoto pitched two innings, facing the minimum six batters, and allowing just one hit while striking out three. He recorded 16 strikes on 19 total pitches, and showed off his devastating splitter.

There were a lot of question marks surrounding Yamamoto heading into his debut as he had never player in MLB before. Still, the Dodgers believed in him and signed Yamamoto to a huge 12-year, $325 million contract. If his start versus the Rangers is just a glimpse of what Yamamoto can do, the Dodgers’ trust in him will pay off big time.

The Dodgers will have to wait until Wednesday to see if Yamamoto can repeat what he did in his first game, but he already has fans excited. The next milestone for Yamamoto won’t come until late March, when he is expected to make his MLB regular season debut for the Dodgers in the Seoul Series on either March 20 or March 21.

Photo Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports