The Los Angeles Dodgers began their Cactus League schedule on Saturday with Yoshinobu Yamamoto taking the mound in what manager Dave Roberts had said would be his only start before leaving to join Team Japan in the World Baseball Classic.
Yamamoto exited the game with two runners on base in the second inning and the Dodgers holding a comfortable 9-2 lead. When Roberts went out to the mound at Tempe Diablo Stadium to remove Yamamoto from his 2026 Spring Training debut, he mistakingly wished him well moving forward.
“When I was coming out of the game, Doc came to me and said, ‘Good luck,’ for the WBC. Actually, I have one game to pitch,” Yamamoto revealed, per interpreter Yoshihiro Sonoda.
Yamamoto threw 30 pitches (22 strikes) and allowed two runs (one earned) over 1.2 innings in the Dodgers’ 15-2 win over the Los Angeles Angels. The plan heading into the game called for Yamamoto to complete two innings or throw 35 pitches in the outing.
He was dominant in the first inning, which was bookended by strikeouts and saw Yamamoto just throw 13 pitches. However, a long top of the second impacted him upon taking the mound in the bottom half of the inning.
A leadoff double was compounded when Teoscar Hernández’s error in left field allowed Jorge Soler to score. Yamamoto bounced back with a strikeout but that was followed by back-to-back singles before he recorded a second out in the inning.
Yamamoto induced six swings and misses in the start.
When is Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s next start?
Yamamoto said the plan is to make a second start with the Dodgers this spring on Friday, Feb. 27, against the San Francisco Giants at Scottsdale Stadium.
Because of being committed to helping Team Japan defend their WBC title, Yamamoto reported to Camelback Ranch early and has been on an accelerated schedule compared to other Dodgers pitchers. That included throwing two innings of live batting practice during a workout last week.
Some time after the start against the Giants is when the right-hander presumably will leave camp in order to report to Team Japan for the start of the World Baseball Classic. He’s going to be accompanied by Dodgers teammate Shohei Ohtani on the Samurai Japan roster.
Team Japan is part of WBC Pool C, which also includes Australia, Chinese Taipei, Czech Republic and Korea. Pool C is playing their first-round games at Tokyo Dome from March 5-10 local.
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