Shota Imanaga shares hilarious encounter with Youshinobu Yamamoto ahead of Dodgers vs. Cubs Spring Training clash

The Chicago Cubs and the Los Angeles Dodgers are set to lock horns at 3:05 PM ET as they kick-off this year's Spring Training games at Camelback Ranch in Glendale, Arizona. Cody Poteet is scheduled to take the mound for the Northsiders while Yoshinobu Yamamoto has been assigned to start for the defending champions.

In an interview ahead of the game, Chicago Cubs pitcher Shota Imanaga shared a humorous story about an encounter with his compatriot, Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

"I talked to Yoshinobu Yamamoto yesterday. I was at the shopping center buying socks, and I met somebody who is with Yamamoto. He said that 'It's not time to be buying socks right now,” said Imanaga via his interpreter Edwin Stanberry.

The humorous statement by Imanaga suggests that Yamamoto is focused and ready as the baseball season begins anew. After all, Yamamoto is scheduled to start the opening Spring Training contest for the Dodgers.

As for Imanaga, he is projected to start for the Cubs in the MLB Tokyo Series opening game, where they will face off against Yamamoto and his Dodgers.

Cubs and Dodgers set for a gargantuan clash in MLB Tokyo Series

In less than a month, the MLB season will commence its regular series curtain-raiser in the Land of the Rising Sun. The Chicago Cubs and the Los Angeles Dodgers are scheduled to play a two-game series at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan.

In the regular season opener, a showdown is expected between compatriots Shota Imanaga and Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Both pitchers were starters in the championship-winning Japan squad in the 2023 World Baseball Classic.

Both pitchers arrived stateside last year. Imanaga had an impressive start to his MLB career, throwing a combined no-hitter and achieving a 15-3 record with a 2.91 ERA. Yamamoto, on the other hand, missed some time due to injury but was stellar during the Dodgers' postseason run.

The two hurlers were regarded as Japan's best players during their time in NPB. Imanaga was a two-time All-Star during his eight-year stint with the Yokohama DeNA BayStars. Yamamoto, meanwhile, won the Pacific League MVP, pitching Triple Crown and Eiji Sawamura awards in three consecutive seasons.