Sept. 10—The Los Angeles Dodgers will bring right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto back from injury for Tuesday’s game against the visiting Chicago Cubs as they try to build a rotation for the stretch games.
Yamamoto will face fellow Japanese Shota Imonaga in the middle game of the three-game series. In addition, each team has an offensive star from Japan, Shohei Ohtani of the Dodgers and Seiya Suzuki of the Cubs.
“Certainly, in Japan, people are paying attention and are excited,” said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, who is also of Japanese descent. “There should be a good crowd there again and we’re expecting a great show.”
Yamamoto (6-2, 2.92 ERA) has been out nearly three months with a strained right rotator cuff. He made 14 starts during his historic 12-year contract worth $325 million before going on the injured list.
Yamamoto threw 53 pitches during a rehab stint with Triple-A Oklahoma City on Sept. 3 but lasted only two innings, partly because a loss to Omar Narvaez took 17 pitches and ended with a batted ball. A more efficient game on Tuesday will likely allow him to get through at least four innings before turning the game over to the bullpen.
“Obviously I’m not going to throw 100 pitches (Tuesday), but even if it’s a short outing like the last time, I’m ready,” Yamamoto said through an interpreter.
On April 6, Yamamoto made his third start for the Dodgers, striking out eight and giving up three hits over five scoreless innings, earning his first major league win.
The Cubs (74-70) took full control with a 10-4 win in Monday’s series opener. The Dodgers (86-58) got their 47th stolen base of the season from Ohtani, who also has 46 home runs. They have 18 games left to complete the first 50-50 season in MLB history.
The Cubs are trying to keep their modest playoff hopes alive but have won only three of their last seven games.
Iemonaga (12-3, 2.99 ERA) is coming off his best outing of the season, as the left-hander pitched seven hitless innings in a 12-0 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday. Nate Pearson and Porter Hodge each pitched one inning to finish off the majors’ fourth no-hitter of the season.
The Cubs returned to the playoff race with a 9-1 record on September 1, but they lost four of five games. The only victory of that period was the 4-0 win.
Chicago relied on the performances of two former Dodgers in Monday’s win, with Cody Bellinger and Michael Bush each hitting a home run and three RBIs. Bush finished the game with four hits, tying his career high, which he first achieved on July 9 against the Baltimore Orioles.
“It’s always good to be back. I have a lot of good memories here,” Bellinger said on the Marquette Sports Network.
The Cubs averaged 4.0 points per game in 71 home games and 5.1 points per game in 73 road games.
“We were clearing the road,” Belin said. “We have two more here and we’re going to Colorado. Hopefully we can keep this going.”
Chicago’s three runs in the first inning on Monday were one more than they totaled in the team’s three-game home series with the New York Yankees over the weekend.
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