When will Yoshinobu Yamamoto return? Dave Roberts provides latest update on star pitcher

The Los Angeles Dodgers have announced that starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto will return to the team next week after missing more than two months of the season with an injury. Manager Dave Roberts stated that Yamamoto will start on the mound next Tuesday when the team faces the Chicago Cubs at Dodger Stadium for the second clash of their three-game series.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto enjoyed an excellent start to his first MLB season after he signed a 12-year, $325 million contract with the Dodgers in the offseason, the largest ever for a pitcher.

However, the 25-year-old was moved to the 60-day IL on June 16 due to tightness on his right triceps. Yamamoto spent two months on the sidelines before his second rehab start with Triple-A Oaklahoma City this past Tuesday.

Before this outing, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts had indicated that it would be the final assignment for Yoshinobu Yamamoto before he returned to a major league mound. On Wednesday, Roberts spoke to reporters about Yamamoto's progress.

“I think the stuff will be there,” Roberts said. “I’m not sure about how the command is going to be. So I think the way we’re looking at it is we’re going to get four starts from him, and if we can log four starts and build up volume, we’ll be ready to go beyond that.”

“This is going to be his first postseason here, but he’s pitched in big ballgames,” he added. “Our expectation, why we committed to him, is because of this.”

The Dodgers are rushing to bring Yamamoto back into the fold despite making just a couple of short outings in the minors. Their injury-marred rotation has been further hampered after losing Tyler Glasnow and Clayton Kershaw to the IL. Therefore, the Dodgers are still unsure about the starting pitchers as they gear up for the playoffs next month.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto reflects on his second rehab start

Yoshinobu Yamamoto has not started for the Dodgers since June 15 (Photo Credit: IMAGN)

On Tuesday, Yoshinobu Yamamoto made his second rehab start for Triple-A Oaklahoma since coming out of his injury layoff. However, the Japanese pitcher had a rough outing, failing to complete the targeted three innings. He threw 53 pitches in just two innings.

“With the results it doesn’t look good. However, there were good pitches and as a rehab assignment, I think I did all I could do,” Yamamoto said through interpreter Yoshihiro Sonoda.

Thus far, Yamamoto has pitched 74 innings in the 14 starts he has made for the Dodgers. He has a 6-2 record with a 2.92 ERA and 1.068 WHIP.