Dodgers' Yoshinobu Yamamoto strikes out eight in four innings vs. Cubs in first start since June

Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto threw four one-run innings against the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday ( GameTracker ) in his first appearance since June 15. He had missed nearly three months after suffering from a rotator cuff strain.

Yamamoto held the Cubs to one run on four hits and no walks, all while striking out eight of the 15 batters he faced. He threw 59 pitches. The Dodgers inserted reliever Ryan Brasier to begin the fifth inning. At the time, they held a 2-1 advantage thanks to a pair of solo home runs from center fielder Tommy Edman .

"I think the stuff will be there," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said about Yamamoto last week . "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 (before the postseason), and if we can log four starts and build up volume, we'll be ready to go beyond that."

Yamamoto averaged 96.3 mph on his fastball, up from his seasonal mark of 95.5 mph. Additionally, he generated six of his 11 swinging strikes on his trademark splitter. That pitch clocked in at nearly 2 mph faster than his seasonal average, according to Statcast.

Yamamoto, 26, signed a 12-year pact worth $325 million with the Dodgers last winter. In 14 starts prior to his deactivation, he had compiled a 2.92 ERA (136 ERA+) and a 4.94 strikeout-to-walk ratio. His contributions had been worth an estimated 1.6 Wins Above Replacement, according to Baseball Reference's calculations.

The Dodgers entered Tuesday with an 86-58 record, giving them a 5 1/2 -game lead in the NL West over the San Diego Padres .