Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto will make his final start before Opening Day against the San Diego Padres Friday.
Yamamoto returned to the Dodgers following Team Japan’s WBC quarterfinal elimination at the hands of Team Venezuela, and manager Dave Roberts said he would make another appearance before the regular season came.
The right-hander has made four impressive appearances so far in 2026, two of which came with the Dodgers. He threw 4.2 innings across two games for the Dodgers before heading back to Japan for the WBC, allowing three earned runs and striking out seven batters.
He started twice in the WBC, striking out seven batters through 6.2 innings pitched and allowing two earned runs in the process.
Yamamoto will be the Dodgers’ Opening Day starter, and if he manages to be as good as he was in 2025, he will play a huge part in LA’s title defense.
The Dodgers also announced Shohei Ohtani will make his first competitive pitching appearance of 2026 on Wednesday. He won’t be in the lineup for that game, but will pick up a bat for Friday’s game against the Padres.
How did Yoshinobu Yamamoto Pitch in 2025?
Yamamoto technically served as the Dodgers’ Opening Day pitcher in 2025, pitching in the first game of the Tokyo Series against the Chicago Cubs and in the second game following MLB’s official Opening Day against the Detroit Tigers. He allowed just a single run through five innings of work against the Cubs at the Tokyo Dome, and carried his momentum into the remainder of the season.
He managed to stay healthy all season and put together a fantastic season, posting a 2.49 ERA through 30 starts and striking out 201 batters through 173.2 innings pitched.
The right-hander played an even more integral role for the Dodgers in the postseason winning the World Series MVP after a historic performance which saw him pitch 37.1 innings and two complete games.
LA will hope Yamamoto can fully ramp up in his final appearance of the spring as they gear up for the franchise’s first three-peat in 2026.
What do you think of Yoshinobu Yamamoto starting on Opening Day again?
