Well, this is certainly encouraging news.
The other day, I said that I expected Yoshinobu Yamamoto to make one more rehab start, potentially two. That ain’t happening, as the Dodgers think he is ready. The plan is for Yamamoto to return and start for the Dodgers against the Cubs next Tuesday.
Yamamoto has been out since the middle of June with a right rotator cuff strain. He made only two starts with OKC, but the Dodgers are confident that he is ready to return.
In his last rehab start, Yamamoto only went two innings. He threw 53 pitches, but a 17-pitch at bat cost him an inning, maybe two. The velocity was there, along with his swing-and-miss stuff.
With him only making two starts and a high of 53 pitches, it’s hard to imagine Yamamoto throwing more than 60 pitches in his first start. That sounds like three innings, maybe four if he’s able to get through batters quickly. Based on the current state of the Dodgers’ rotation, I think they’ll gladly take that.
When looking at the remaining schedule, Yamamoto will make at least three starts to close out the regular season. Based on how they utilize off-days and rest, there’s a chance he can make four starts. This is probably why the Dodgers wanted to bring him back now. With such little time remaining, you might as well continue to build him up in the majors. Hopefully by the end of September, he’s able to go 80+ pitches.
It might be tough to remember because it was so long ago, but Yamamoto was pitching like the ace the Dodgers expected him to be at the time of his injury. He was coming off the best start of his career at Yankee Stadium, when he struck out seven in seven scoreless innings.
Excluding his first start of the season, Yamamoto posted a 2.34 ERA, 2.67 FIP and 1.01 WHIP over his previous 13 starts. He had a strikeout rate of 28.1 percent and a walk rate of only 5.5 percent. Not only was he pitching like a Rookie of the Year candidate, he was pitching like a true Cy Young candidate.
Adding him back to the rotation is going to be a massive addition.
Tyler Glasnow
When speaking with reporters on SNLA, Dave Roberts said that Tyler Glasnow played catch on Wednesday. He added that the plan for Glasnow is to throw off a mound this weekend at some point.
That is certainly encouraging news, but we are running out of time with each passing day. Glasnow throwing a bullpen session is a great step in the right direction, but he still has to check so many boxes.
He’ll need to likely throw multiple bullpen sessions and then throw to live hitters. Once he completes that, a rehab assignment will be needed. Who knows, maybe one start will be enough, but you’d have to imagine the Dodgers would like to see him get two in.
OKC’s season ends on September 22, which is two weeks from Sunday. There might not be enough time for him to get multiple rehab starts in. There might not be enough time for him to get one in.
The Dodgers might have to go the Yamamoto route and bring Glasnow back before he’s fully built up. If he’s able to only give you four innings/60 pitches, they may have no other choice. Assuming the Dodgers get the first round bye in the playoffs, the NLDS wouldn’t kick off until October 5, exactly one month from today. You could give Glasnow extra rest by starting him in Game 3, which would be October 8.
I’m confident Glasnow will be able to return, but as each day passes the chances of seeing him back on the mound slowly diminish.