GLENDALE, Ariz. — A day after asserting that Shohei Ohtani will make his first Cactus League look in a Dodgers uniform on Tuesday, the Dodgers are additionally prepared to point out off their different prized offseason acquisition this week.
After throwing a bullpen session on Monday, the Dodgers have Japanese phenom Yoshinobu Yamamoto scheduled to pitch two innings in opposition to the Rangers on Wednesday in Shock, Ariz., and it will likely be streamed dwell on MLB.TV at 12:05 p.m. PT. It’ll be the primary time Yamamoto will get into Cactus League motion in his profession.
“It’s nice,” stated Dodgers supervisor Dave Roberts. “The fellows actually got here into camp excited, very centered. I feel the blokes which can be new have finished an awesome job of assimilating. The fellows who’ve been right here have finished an awesome job of incorporating the brand new gamers, and now seeing them on the sphere and to play Dodger baseball, it’s been enjoyable. We play each pitch, we play exhausting and that’s my expectation.”
Early within the offseason, the Dodgers recognized Yamamoto as one in every of their prime targets in free company. The Dodgers had been scouting Yamamoto for years and the joy round him had been rising for years.
This winter, the Dodgers have been in a position to land Yamamoto on a 12-year, $325 million deal, making him the highest-paid pitcher in Main League historical past regardless of not throwing a pitch within the Majors. However Yamamoto’s success in Nippon Skilled Baseball can’t be understated. Yamamoto is contemporary off successful the pitching Triple Crown and gained three consecutive Eiji Sawamura Awards, the equal of the Cy Younger in MLB.
Over the previous few weeks, the Dodgers have gotten an opportunity to be taught extra about Yamamoto, who has an fascinating and distinctive method of coaching. Yamamoto has turn into well-known for his javelin exercise, amongst different issues. His bullpen classes have routinely drawn a giant crowd at Dodgers camp.
Throughout his first of two dwell BPs this spring, Yamamoto confronted off in opposition to former MVPs Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman. Yamamoto was in a position to get the most effective of them, drawing a standing ovation from Betts on the finish of the session.
On Wednesday, the eye will as soon as once more be on Yamamoto when he faces off in opposition to the defending World Sequence champions.