Since the All-Star break, the Los Angeles Dodgers have been among the hottest teams in baseball. As the competition for the NL West title becomes closer, the Dodgers, who are ranked first in the most recent MLB power rankings, have held onto their lead. Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s return would undoubtedly help the Dodgers. The 25-year-old rookie starter for Los Angeles could soon return to the mound. According to Dave Roberts of the Dodgers, Yamamoto threw about 40 pitches during his bullpen session today, as reported by Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic. According to Ardaya, the pitcher will confront hitters when he faces the squad in St. Louis on Friday. Since having to exit the game on June 15 due to an injured right rotator cuff, Yamamoto has been sidelined. On June 16, he was added to the injured list, and on July 13, he was transferred to the 60-day IL.
The Dodgers are hoping Yoshinobu Yamamoto returns from the Illinois League shortly.
The former star of Nippon Professional Baseball was allowed to start pitching and has spent the last week in multiple bullpen sessions. He must then progress to a simulated game by facing actual hitters. Yamamoto might then leave on a rehab assignment. With luck, he might be back in Los Angeles by the end of this month or early September. Before the 2024 season, Yamamoto signed a $325 million, 12-year contract with the Dodgers. For Yamamoto’s services, Los Angeles further paid a $50.625 million posting charge.
Before being hurt, the Dodgers had seen great success from the rookie righty. With a 2.92 ERA, 1.068 WHIP, a 137 ERA+, and 84 strikeouts in 74 innings, he was 6-2 in 14 starts. Yamamoto reached 1.7 WAR by the middle of June. The Dodgers are hoping he’ll return in time for the postseason to begin so they can catch up. As of Tuesday’s play, Los Angeles is 21 games over.500 and leads the NL West by 3.5 games over the Arizona Diamondbacks and San Diego Padres.
