Steve Webb
LOS ANGELES, CA — In largely an administrative move, the Dodgers have transfered prized righthander Yoshinobu Yamamoto to the 60-day Injured List, which opened a roster spot for newcomer Brent Honeywell to start Sunday’s finale in Detroit.
The Dodgers put Yamamoto on the IL to right triceps tightness, sidelining him until at least August 16. Yamamoto first experienced discomfort after a 106-pitch game against the Yankees on June 7. Although given extra rest before his next start, Yamamoto felt tightness again during a start against the Royals on June 15, leaving the game after two innings. An MRI showed no tear.
Before Dodger fans start clutching their pearls with this move, keep in mind that it is mostly to open up the roster spot for Honeywell. It really doesn’t change the facts on the ground regarding Yamamoto’s recovery. Manager Dave Roberts reported that his star righty has been throwing without pain and continues to make progress coming back from the injury.
“Yamamoto’s thrown twice this past week,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said on Friday. “He’s played catch out to 60 feet twice, and he’s supposed to play catch [on July 13]. There’s been no soreness, no pain. So he’s in a good spot.”
Considering the long layoff, it will take a while to ramp up his innings, so a mid-August return to action is really a best case scenario anyway. Combined with the slow approach the Dodgers are taking with Clayton Kershaw and Walker Buehler, this will hamstring the Dodgers a bit in the short term, but should yield dividends once all the arms are back in the rotation.
The 25-year-old rookie has been impressive in his debut season, posting a 6-2 record with a 2.92 ERA over 14 starts after signing a 12-year, $325 million contract in the offseason.
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