Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto has been out of action for more than two months now. He made his last start against the Kansas City Royals on June 15 when, just two innings into the game, he complained of tightness in his triceps and was taken off the mound immediately.
Now, DodgersNation host Doug McKain reported that Yamamoto has completed his first rehab start, where the Japanese ace managed to pitch two innings for the club's triple-A affiliate, Oklahoma City, in the minor leagues on Wednesday night.
"Everything went well in Yoshinobu Yamamoto's rehab start. He could be back in a little over a couple of weeks: "He feels good, and five or six days from now, he'll make another start for the OKC team. Hopefully, after that, the next one would be with us,"" McKain said in a tweet on X/Twitter.
Reflecting on Yamamoto's cautious rehab start in the minors, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said (via ESPN.com):
"Threw well, came out of it good. Hopefully, we can get him to three innings his next outing and then throw another one in the pen after that and then have a real conversation if it makes sense for him to join us."
Yoshinobu Yamamoto strikes out 2 batters in 2 innings during minor league start for OKC
As Yoshinobu Yamamoto nears a return to the Dodgers roster for the remainder of the campaign, Wednesday night's start in the MiLB was a positive moment for the organization and its fans.
Yamamoto signed the biggest contract by a pitcher in the MLB after he penned down a 12-year, $325 million contract with the Dodgers after making a name for himself in the NPB with the Orix Buffaloes.
Despite pitching just two innings against the Round Rock Express, who are the triple-A affiliates of the Texas Rangers, he showcased good command over his pitching arsenal and pitching velocity. He gave up just one run on one hit while striking out two batters. He then progressed to throw 10 pitches in the bullpen as well.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto is set to throw another game for the OKC before a final call can be taken on his promotion to the majors. This comes at a good time for the Dodgers unit, who are jetting towards another division series win.
Yamamoto was 6-2 for the campaign with an ERA of 2.92 before he got injured. His addition to the squad would give the Dodgers much-needed depth in the rotation ahead of the postseason.