The Los Angeles Dodgers relied on pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto to help bounce back after a loss, but he instead endured one of the toughest outings of his career on the mound. On this occasion, Yamamoto gave up six earned runs during 4.2 innings against the Los Angeles Angels, marking a career-high in runs allowed as part of his ongoing adaptation to the Dodgers’ pitching staff.

Yamamoto surrendered six hits and issued five walks while managing to strike out six batters. Despite these struggles, he expressed that his physical condition remained solid and that he felt generally good after the game.

Challenges Faced During Yamamoto’s Difficult Start

Speaking through his interpreter Yoshihiro Sonoda, Yamamoto acknowledged being thrown off early in the game by key hits from the Angels.

“The first-pitch home run and after that I gave up another run, and that kind of threw me off my rhythm,”

he said.

“As the game went on, I was trying to make a few adjustments but unfortunately I didn’t make them.”

He emphasized that although his pitching velocity and movement felt strong, he simply couldn’t regain his usual flow as the innings progressed.

Rest and Workload Management Ahead of the Postseason

The Dodgers had postponed Yamamoto’s scheduled start by one day, initially set for Sunday, providing him additional rest. This decision was made by Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, who noted that the choice was influenced both by workload considerations and Yamamoto’s comfort with extra rest.

“Maybe a little bit of both,”

Roberts said.

“But Yoshi feels good, and he’s always in favor okay with an extra day. So that was kind of the genesis behind that.”

Yamamoto agreed that the extra day was helpful but stated that his primary focus was on maintaining his physical health throughout the long season. He has now pitched 126.2 innings this year, surpassing his rookie season total of 90 innings, plus an additional 18.2 innings during the postseason.

In his previous career in Japan, Yamamoto was known as a workhorse, exceeding 170 innings in each of his last three seasons there and reaching over 120 innings in multiple other years. In fact, he threw 193.2 innings twice during 2021 and 2022, his final two seasons in Japan.

However, his pitching routine in Japan followed a strict weekly schedule, pitching once every seven days. The Dodgers have often kept Yamamoto on a similar timetable but have also allowed him to pitch with shorter rest periods on occasion.

Potential Adaptation to Shorter Rest Periods

Yamamoto has not yet pitched on just four days of rest with the Dodgers, but he appears to be physically capable of handling such a schedule if necessary, thanks to his body’s strong recovery between starts. Last year, the Dodgers contemplated shifting him to a traditional five-day rotation but reversed that plan after he experienced a right rotator cuff strain requiring a 15-day injured list stint.

Monitoring his workload and health will remain a priority for the Dodgers as they aim to keep Yamamoto in peak condition for the postseason push ahead.