Yoshinobu Yamamoto is off the 60-day injured list as the Los Angeles Dodgers look to avoid a series loss to the Chicago Cubs. Nick Ramirez was designated for assignment as the corresponding roster move to the Dodgers activating Yamamoto.
Yamamoto’s first start for the Dodgers since June 15 comes opposite fellow countryman Shota Imanaga, who also made the jump to MLB this season.
Yamamoto and Imanaga both started when the Dodgers played the Cubs at Wrigley Field in April, but not against each other. Yamamoto went five scoreless innings in his start against the Cubs to earn his first career win, and Imanaga held the Dodgers without a run over four frames.
“I want to beat this guy tonight,” manager Dave Roberts said. “He shoved it up our butts in Chicago. I want to hit the changeup, we’re going to see a lot of changeups. (Kyle) Hendricks threw a lot of changeups. And I want to beat this guy.
“Then I can be happy about the great matchup that it was. He’s having a heck of a year. I hope our two Japanese guys play better than their two Japanese guys.”
Tuesday’s game figures to draw even more interest in Japan with Shohei Ohtani and Seiya Suzuki in the respective Dodgers and Cubs lineups. Ohtani is four home runs away from 50 on the season, and he needs just three more swiped bags to reach that total in stolen bases as well.
Roberts, a native of Japan as well, said Yamamoto figures to be limited to no more than 60 pitches in his return.
Yamamoto made two starts for Triple-A Oklahoma City while on a rehab assignment, but didn’t complete more than two innings in either outing. The plan was to stretch out to three innings on Sept. 3, but a high pitch count but that start short.
The Dodgers nevertheless moved forward with activating Yamamoto as their starting rotation has absorbed more injuries with Clayton Kershaw and Gavin Stone now out, to go along with Tyler Glasnow still being on the mend from right elbow tendinitis.
The Dodgers are in danger of losing their first series since doing so against the Philadelphia Phillies at Dodger Stadium from Aug. 5-7.
Teoscar Hernández remains out of the Dodgers lineup for the fourth consecutive game as he recovers from a left foot contusion. Andy Pages is making his third start in left field during Hernández’s absence.
Mookie Betts enters play on a nine-game hitting streak and having reached base safely 15 in a row.
Dodgers lineup
DH: Shohei Ohtani
RF: Mookie Betts
1B: Freddie Freeman
CF: Tommy Edman
LF: Andy Pages
SS: Miguel Rojas
3B: Max Muncy
2B: Kiké Hernández
C: Austin Barnes
Cubs lineup
LF: Ian Happ
SS: Dansby Swanson
DH: Seiya Suzuki
RF: Cody Bellinger
3B: Isaac Paredes
1B: Michael Busch
2B: Nico Hoerner
CF: Pete Crow-Armstrong
C: Miguel Amaya
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