Dave Roberts addresses the media, voice steady.
Yamamoto’s final spring appearance? Saturday.
He needs to report to Samurai Japan.
Clear.
Planned.
Then Yamamoto speaks.
Friday.
Against the Giants.
He’ll pitch.
No debate.
No drama in his tone.
Just fact.
The correction lands softly.
But it lingers.
In a camp already thinned by international call-ups — Ohtani, Yamamoto, Will Smith, Edwin Diaz, Ha-seong Kim — every inning matters.
Ohtani’s absence from the WBC mound draws headlines for its own weighty reasons.
Yamamoto carries Japan’s rotation hopes.
Yet here he is, carving out one more start in Dodgers blue.
His spring debut against the Angels was sharp enough: 1.2 IP, 3 Ks, only 1 earned run despite a couple of hits.
Control tight.
Stuff electric.
30 pitches, 22 strikes.
Efficient.
The kind of outing that builds trust.
Now he wants one more.
Roberts adjusts publicly.
No visible friction.
But the moment registers.
A player — still new to the organization — gently overrides the manager’s stated plan.
In most clubhouses, that doesn’t happen without layers beneath.
Loyalty to Dodgers.
Desire to face major-league hitters once more.
Or simple confidence that one extra tune-up won’t derail national prep.
Whatever the reason, it draws eyes.
Spring without five impact players already tests depth.
Yamamoto’s choice to extend his club time — even by 24 hours — adds quiet fuel.
Is it commitment to the Dodgers?
A subtle assertion of independence?
Or just a pitcher who knows his body and his timeline best?
The Giants game looms.
One final look before the international stage.
Japan defends its crown.
The Dodgers wait.
And in the space between announcement and action, one question hangs in the Arizona air.
When a star quietly redraws the line between club and country… who really holds the pen?
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