ANAHEIM — Ready or not, Yoshinobu Yamamoto will rejoin the Dodgers’ starting rotation next week.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Yamamoto will come off the injured list and start Tuesday night against the Chicago Cubs. It will be Yamamoto’s first major-league start since he left after two innings against the Kansas City Royals on June 15 with a strained rotator cuff.
Yamamoto made his second start with Triple-A Oklahoma City on a minor-league injury rehabilitation assignment on Tuesday and only got through two innings. The Dodgers had hoped he would pitch three innings and throw some more in the bullpen after that in order to extend his pitch count before rejoining them. But Yamamoto gave up two runs in the first inning and a 17-pitch at-bat to start the second inning drove his pitch count up and he was done after two innings.
“The pitch count got up to 55 pitches. We didn’t get the ups that we wanted. But with the off day coming on Thursday I think we’ll be fine as far as bullpen coverage,” Roberts said.
“I think a lot of it’s gonna be dependent on efficiency. But it wouldn’t be crazy to think that he could get to the fourth inning if he’s efficient.”
The Dodgers are more interested in getting Yamamoto four starts before the postseason than how deep he might be able to go next week.
“We’re still going to be building up, but I think anyone can argue that that start at Yankee Stadium was the best start by any one of our starters all year. Certainly in that environment,” Roberts said. “So that’s hopefully a sign of things to come.”
Yamamoto, who was signed out of Japan this offseason to a 12-year, $325 million contract – the largest deal ever obtained by a starting pitcher – held the Yankees to two hits over seven scoreless innings in that June start. But it was his next start when his shoulder injury drove him out of the game. The combination of throwing more sliders in that start than he had previously and the intensity of pitching on the big stage at Yankee Stadium are considered factors leading to the shoulder injury.
“He’s going to do whatever he can to get hitters out, whatever the scouting report says,” Roberts said. “I just don’t know what the slider usage is gonna be.”
And the Dodgers will be in a “wait-and-see” mode to find out what Yamamoto has to offer after not facing major-league hitters for almost three months.
“I think the stuff will be there. I’m not sure about how the command is going to be,” Roberts said of Yamamoto, who was 6-2 with a 2.92 ERA in 14 starts before his injury. “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.”
Yamamoto’s return comes with the Dodgers’ rotation very much in flux, with Jack Flaherty seemingly the only lock to start postseason games at the moment. Rookie right-hander Gavin Stone could earn a spot if others don’t progress.
Tyler Glasnow hasn’t pitched since Aug. 11 because of elbow tendinitis, though he is expected to start throwing bullpen sessions again this weekend. Clayton Kershaw returned to the IL on Saturday because of a bone spur in his left big toe. Walker Buehler and Bobby Miller have struggled throughout the year, though Buehler has shown progress in his past few starts.
Roberts said right-hander Landon Knack will be recalled from Triple-A to start Friday against the Cleveland Guardians and will fill Kershaw’s spot in the rotation for the time being.
Knack has gone 2-2 with a 3.00 ERA in 10 games (eight starts) for the Dodgers this season.
Right-hander Tyler Glasnow continued his throwing program and is scheduled to throw off a mound this weekend for the first time since he went on the IL with elbow tendinitis 2 ½ weeks ago. Glasnow will have to make at least one rehab start before returning, Roberts said.
The Dodgers are off Thursday.
Guardians (LHP Matthew Boyd, 1-1, 2.38 ERA) at Dodgers (RHP Landon Knack, 2-2, 3.00 ERA), Friday, 7:10 p.m., SportsNet LA, 570 AM
