The Los Angeles Dodgers signed NPB star pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto to a 12-year, $325 million contract in the offseason. There are various opt-outs for the team and player based on elbow health, and his cap hit doesn’t get bad until 2027 when he goes from making $12 million in 2026 to $26 million that year. Still, the rookie has struggled in the spring (0-1, 8.38 ERA), and fans may start to wonder if the Dodgers jumped the gun on this contract.
Given the Los Angeles rotation injuries, Yamamoto has slotted in as the No. 2 starter behind Tyler Glasnow. He was given the starting nod for Game 2 of the Seoul Series in South Korea on Thursday, March 21 against the San Diego Padres, and there was optimism that he was holding back in the spring and would look more like himself in regular season action.
Yamamoto, unfortunately, is still struggling and he got knocked around in his major league debut. He allowed five earned runs on four hits in one inning of work. Yamamoto struck out two and walked one, but was pulled in favor of Michael Grove in the second inning. One thing to keep in mind with this outing is that Los Angeles now goes back to the United States for two remaining spring training games that don’t count. The Dodgers’ pitching staff has an entire week before they play regular season baseball again, so manager Dave Roberts could have pulled Yamamoto earlier than he usually would so that he could get some other pitchers some work while not forcing Yamamoto to keep getting knocked around.
A Rough 1st Inning for Yoshinobu Yamamoto. pic.twitter.com/NAifO0kwip
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) March 21, 2024
The Dodgers have the best odds at DraftKings Sportsbook to win the 2024 World Series installed at +350. Los Angeles is dealing with injuries to Dustin May, Walker Buehler and Emmet Sheehan, so they already have to utilize their depth at the back end of the rotation. The lineup should be one of the best in the league. Still, if Yamamoto continues to struggle and the Dodgers have to rely on the availability of the oft-injured Tyler Glasnow, the World Series may not be as attainable as once thought.
Seoul Series Game 2 stats to know
Dodgers (1-1)
Shohei Ohtani: 1-5, RBI, Run
Mookie Betts: 4-5, 2B, HR, 6 RBI, 2 Runs
Will Smith: 4-6, 2B, 2 RBI, Run
Freddie Freeman: 1-4, 2 BB, 2 Ks
Yoshinobu Yamamoto: 1.0 inning, 4 hits, 5 ER, 1 BB, 2 Ks
Padres (1-1)
Jake Cronenworth: 4-4, 4 RBI, 3B, 2 Runs
Manny Machado: 1-4, HR, 3 RBI, 2 Runs
Fernando Tatis Jr.: 2-4, RBI, 2 Runs
Xander Bogaerts: 2-5, 2 RBI, 3 Runs
Joe Musgrove: 2.2 innings, 7 hits, 5 ER, 2 BBs, 2Ks