Yoshinobu Yamamoto enjoyed a successful rookie season with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2024, though it was one that saw him make just 18 starts because of a right rotator cuff/triceps injury.
That caused Yamamoto to miss nearly three months and served as some of the motivation he has to remain healthy this year. That’s panned out well for the right-hander thus far and been much needed for the Dodgers as they again have dealt with a rash of injuries within their starting rotation.
While Yamamoto has made every scheduled start in 2025, he may not have been quite 100% upon coming out of the game on Monday.
According to Bill Plunkett of the Southern California News Group, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts revealed Yamamoto experienced some hip trouble after making a fielding play at first base:
Roberts said Yamamoto had “a little hip issue” after the play at first base. He pulled him after 88 pitches through the six innings.
“I don’t know if that kind of got into the mechanics in that fifth and sixth inning. It just didn’t seem as fine,” Roberts said. “And then for me, I just felt that we pushed him a lot his last outing (110 pitches), so to kind of not push him to the fullest tonight made sense as he gears up for (his next start) Sunday (against the Yankees).”
Yamamoto’s play came in the third inning when Will Wilson’s sacrifice bunt advanced two runners. The ball got by a charging Freddie Freeman and required Yamamoto to barehand it before sprinting toward first base and lunging to apply the tag just before Wilson could touch first base on his dive.
Yamamoto didn’t show any overt signs of being physically limited or impacted as he proceeded to get through six innings with just two runs allowed. It was his seventh time in 11 starts this season with at least six inning completed. The quality start was Yamamoto’s third of the year.
Cy Young consideration: Yoshinobu Yamamoto
Yamamoto’s stellar season garnered National League Pitcher of the Month honors for March/April, and has him in early consideration for the Cy Young Award.
Yamamoto would become the first Japanese pitcher to ever win a Cy Young.
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