"No. 1 thing is that he’s pain-free” - Dodgers' Dave Roberts shares positive update on Yoshinobu Yamamoto's condition amid shoulder injury

Yoshinobu Yamamoto hasn't pitched since his last start, which was on June 15, when he pitched two innings against the Kansas City Royals before exiting due to a shoulder issue. According to the latest update shared by Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, the Japanese pitching sensation is yet to begin a throwing program.

However, Roberts mentioned that Yamamoto is now pain-free as he hopes that the rookie pitcher starts playing catch soon.

“I think he’s pain-free, so that’s a good thing,” Roberts said, via Doug Padilla of the O.C. Register. “Granted, he’s not throwing a baseball. So our hope is he starts playing catch soon. But the No. 1 thing is that he’s pain-free.

“He’s getting worked on, he’s doing a lot of shoulder exercises, non-throwing stuff. But I don’t know when that time is he’s gonna pick up a baseball.”

Before hitting the injured list, Yoshinobu Yamamoto was paying dividends on the club's $325 million deal over the next 12 years. His first start in the Seoul Series was not on expected lines, but since then, the pitcher has delivered, going 6-2 with a 2.92 ERA and 84 strikeouts.

---

Next steps in recovery for Yoshinobu Yamamoto

MLB: Texas Rangers at Los Angeles Dodgers (IMAGN)

Now that Yoshinobu Yamamoto is not feeling any pain, the Dodgers have gotten him started on shoulder exercises. Post that, the pitcher will start building his arm through a throwing program, which involves the first step as playing catch.

“It’ll be playing catch and then stretching it out. Once we get to the bullpen, then it starts to become more real,” Roberts said.

Once his arm is built up, the club will have him throw a few bullpen sessions and a couple of minor league assignments to ensure that he's ready to return to a major league mound.

If everything goes fine without any hurdle, Yoshinobu Yamamoto should start striking out hitters again. The timeline of his return is not known yet, but the club hopes that it's soon.