Yoshinobu Yamamoto went into his rookie season with the Los Angeles Dodgers facing plenty of expectations, both because of his talent and achievements in Japan, but also because of signing the richest contract for a pitcher in MLB history at $325 million.
Yamamoto’s debut left plenty to be desired as he pitched just one inning against the San Diego Padres in the Seoul Series. However, he eventually rounded into form and emerged as an ace for the Dodgers en route to their World Series title.
But sandwiched in between those two endpoints was spending more than three months on the injured list because of a right rotator cuff strain/triceps tightness.
“The most important thing for me is being able to battle through the whole season,” Yamamoto reiterated through interpreter Yoshihiro Sonoda. “Right now I’m preparing and getting myself ready for the beginning of the season and to get through the season.”
Yamamoto’s rookie season saw him pitch just 90 innings over 18 starts. He added 18.2 innings across four starts during the playoffs.
While last year was interrupted by injury, it hasn’t prompted Yamamoto to make any changes.
“At this moment what I’m doing is pretty much the same as every year around this time. I’m just trying to ramp up for the season,” he said.
That latest step was allowing three runs over 2.1 innings in his second Cactus League start of the year. Yamamoto was particularly hurt by the slug as he gave up an RBI double and two solo home runs to the Milwaukee Brewers.
“At the beginning of the game I was feeling pretty good. I was not overthrowing and I felt good. After that, I gave up a couple runs, but I was also trying to experiment with a couple things,” Yamamoto explained.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts dismissed the notion of the team “being careful” with Yamamoto because of his injury history but noted they will “manage him accordingly.”
Dodgers see difference in Yoshinobu Yamamoto
Having a full season to adjust to life as a Major League pitcher and the various nuances associated with that, the Dodgers collectively have sensed a more sure and comfortable Yamamoto this spring.
“The confidence, I think, is real,” Roberts said. “The comfort level around his teammates, this setting, is real, and he feels good. So I certainly feel he’s a couple grades ahead of where he was last year at this point.”
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