Dodgers’ Yoshinobu Yamamoto Gets Unexpected Help in Minor League Rehab Start

Dodgers’ Yoshinobu Yamamoto has not pitched in a major league game since June 15 because of a rotator cuff strain. The Dodgers placed Yamamoto on the 60-day injured list on July 13.

In the meantime, Yamamoto has taken massive steps in his recovery process. The Dodgers sent Yamamoto on a rehab assignment to Triple-A Oklahoma City on Wednesday. He made his first rehab start against the Round Rock Express. Across two innings, he was charged with one earned run, struck out two, and allowed no walks and one hit.

In the bottom of the second inning, there were two outs on the board. With two strikes into the count against Round Rock’s Jax Biggers, umpire Tyler Jones called Yamamoto’s third pitch a ball.

Then, using the newly implemented automated ball-strike challenge system, the call was challenged. The ball was changed to a strike. The newly-called strike marked the end of Yamamoto’s second inning.

Yamamoto’s second strikeout of the day required a little help from a little computer he won’t have at his disposal when he returns to the National League.

Triple-A incorporated the ABS challenge system into all games on June 25. Teams can only make two challenges per game. Triple-A Oklahoma City used one challenge on Yamamoto’s second-inning pitch. MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said Major League Baseball will likely not install the ABS challenge system until 2026 at the earliest.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters, including the Associated Press, that Yamamoto threw 10 additional pitches in the bullpen. While Yamamoto has made immense progress in his recovery, Roberts made it clear that he would need to throw in at least one more rehab start before he can rejoin the Dodgers active roster.

“Threw well, came out of it good,” Roberts told reporters. said (via ESPN). “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.”

Yamamoto’s next rehab start will be in five or six days, according to the Orange County Register’s Bill Plunkett. It will span three innings. From there, the franchise will re-evaluate the plan for Yamamoto.

“Then from that point on I think it’s a conversation whether to start for us makes sense or he needs another (rehab) start,” Roberts said (via the Orange County Register).

Photo Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

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