Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto has had difficulties this spring. Through three games, the hard-throwing righty has compiled an 0-1 record with an 8.38 ERA in 9.2 innings.
In his latest start, Yamamoto faced the Seattle Mariners on Wednesday. He stretched himself out, going 4.2 innings, but had trouble putting Seattle batters away the second time through the order. He gave up four earned runs while striking out seven and giving up a walk.
With the Dodgers set to open the season next week in the Seoul Series, there are some things to be concerned about. Here are three takeaways from Yamamoto's troubling spring training.
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3 Takeaways from Yoshinobu Yamamoto's Spring with the Dodgers
#3, Troubling ERA
Yoshinobu Yamamoto has compiled an 8.38 ERA through three games with the Dodgers. This is by far the highest ERA he has seen in his career. His biggest ERA came during the 2017 postseason in Japan.
Much of Yamamoto's hype came around his ability to keep runs off the board. That will certainly be a question as the Dodgers gear up for the regular season, which starts March 20 in Seoul against the San Diego Padres.
#2, Needs to adjust
As an international player, there can be an adjustment period after getting into the big leagues. Ichiro Suzuki had a period when he did not look like the star he was before making his way to MLB.
Yamamoto only has a few games under his belt and should get better and more comfortable with each start. He is a great pitcher and should find his groove soon.
#1, Yamamoto was dominant at times
You cannot gloss over Yoshinobu Yamamoto's statistics without mentioning his 14 strikeouts. That is impressive over the 9.2 innings he pitched this spring, even if he has struggled at times.
As he gets more experience, the rest of his game should translate. Through the small amount of time he has spent in the big leagues, fans should not be all that concerned.
