GLENDALE, Ariz. — The Dodgers don’t plan to wait long to show off their shiny new starting pitchers.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts confirmed Tuesday that the team hopes to have Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Tyler Glasnow start the two regular-season games in South Korea against the San Diego Padres on March 20-21.
“I think that’s a safe bet,” Roberts said. “Obviously things can change. It’s two regular-season games. But it’s just two games. I think it’s fair to say that’s our hope. But I don’t think I am or we are beholden to that if it doesn’t make sense.
“This is a unique ramp up for everyone. Like I said, it’s two games that matter but it’s just two games. So the entirety of the season and making sure these guys are ready to take down the starts, that’s most important.”
Both Glasnow and Yamamoto have thrown live batting practice already, dominating the Dodgers’ hitters. Roberts indicated they will throw to hitters at least once more before pitching in Cactus League games.
The compressed spring training calendar necessitated by the early start in Seoul “doesn’t leave much margin for error” in getting players ready, General Manager Brandon Gomes acknowledged.
“You build out the progression with our hitting guys, getting position players up and ready to go. From a pitching side it’s even more challenging,” Gomes said. “So it creates a narrow band of, if you have a hiccup, can you recover from it as far as making sure you’re not putting guys in harm’s way? But we’re prepared for a bunch of different things to happen. And it’s part of the benefit of having the depth that we have. So you have the plan, and if you have to pivot, you pivot.
“But I think that’s the biggest challenge. You don’t have the, ‘Oh, we can take an extra couple days and it doesn’t really matter.’”
With just a month left before the series in Korea, Yamamoto and Glasnow – or whoever winds up starting there – are not likely to be fully built up for those games. That will factor into the Dodgers’ roster decisions, Gomes said.
“Once we get to those two games in Korea, whatever our guys are ready to do, we’ll have them do that and not more,” the GM said. “Our coaching staff does such a great job of being mindful and plugging in pieces where they need to. So we’ll put the team together how we need to to make sure no one is in harm’s way, while still putting out the most talented pitching products we can.”
Roberts said he had a conversation with Shohei Ohtani on Monday about how much work Ohtani feels he will need to be ready for the season. The answer he got was 50 at-bats.
Those 50 at-bats could come in a variety of ways – in Cactus League games, in simulated games on the minor-league side of Camelback Ranch or during live batting practice sessions.
Ohtani took live batting practice for the first time this spring on Monday, taking one at-bat each against right-handers Ryan Brasier, Blake Treinen and J.P. Feyereisen.
“Some people would rather play in a Cactus League game because it gets their adrenaline going more,” Roberts said. “Some people feel that if you’re playing on a back field or in a simulated (game), you can get what you put into it. I’m like most of you guys. I’m still learning Shohei. But there’s got to be a lot of trust on my side. If he needs more at-bats or wants to play in more games, we can acquiesce and I’m fine with it.
“I think certain players, certainly a guy like Shohei, knowing what the finish line looks like and then how do we get there I think is important to him. I think it makes us all feel better on how we get to that point.”
Right-handers Michael Grove and Gavin Stone are expected to pitch in the Dodgers’ Cactus League opener against the Padres on Thursday.
