Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto warms up before a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals, June 15, 2024, in Los Angeles.
11:20 JST, June 17, 2024
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Dodgers right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto has a strained rotator cuff, manager Dave Roberts said Sunday, adding that tests showed no tear.
The injury was initially described as triceps tightness before the strain was diagnosed. Yamamoto was placed on the 15-day injured list before Los Angeles defeated Kansas City 3-0 on Sunday. He won’t throw for a few weeks.
It will just take time and rest. The season doesn’t end, Roberts said.
Despite winning two of three against the Royals, it was a tough weekend for the Dodgers, who are 44-29 and have an eight-game lead over San Diego in the NL West.
Star shortstop Mookie Betts broke his left hand when he was hit by a pitch during the seventh inning on Sunday.
The 25-year-old Yamamoto, who is playing his first year in the Majors after leaving his native Japan and signing a record $325 million, 12-year contract, is 6-2 with a 2.92 ERA.
He’s a guy we’re still trying to learn a lot about, and we appreciate the fact that the most important time of the season is still to come, Roberts said before the game. “His health comes first. So we think it would be smartest to be proactive and put him on the IL.
Yamamoto left Saturday night’s loss after two innings against Kansas City. He said through an interpreter that his scheduled start the previous Thursday against Texas had been postponed because of triceps tightness.
He also said the tension was gone for most of Saturday, but he started feeling it again as he warmed up in the bullpen before the game.
Yamamoto threw two-hit ball over seven innings with the New York Yankees on June 7. He threw 106 pitches, the fourth consecutive time he had thrown more than 100.
Roberts said he took Yamamoto’s pitch count into account, but also noted that Yamamoto was used to throwing 120 pitches or more when he pitched in Japan.
With Bobby Miller returning to the rotation for Wednesday’s game in Colorado, the Dodgers will still have a five-man starting staff. Clayton Kershaw will also make his first rehabilitation start this week.
Tyler Glasnow threw seven scoreless innings on Sunday, and Los Angeles’ rotation has the fifth-lowest ERA in the Majors at 3.42.
The Dodgers also placed right-hander Michael Grove on the IL with a right intercostal strain. Right-handers JP Feyereisen and Michael Petersen were called up from Triple-A Oklahoma City. To make room for Petersen on the 40-man roster, right-hander Joe Kelly was moved to the 60-day IL.
