Yamamoto ready for rehab games at Triple-A
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LOS ANGELES -- After more than two months on the injured list, Yoshinobu Yamamoto is finally returning to game action.
Yamamoto will make his first rehab start on Wednesday for Triple-A Oklahoma City, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts announced. Yamamoto will throw a bullpen session Monday before joining Oklahoma City for a road series against Round Rock.
Yamamoto is set to pitch two innings against Round Rock, the Rangers’ Triple-A affiliate. If all goes well, he will likely make at least one more rehab start before rejoining the Dodgers. He pitched two innings in a simulated game on Wednesday and played catch without issue Friday.
Yamamoto, 26, went 6-2 and with a 2.92 ERA in 14 starts before going on the 15-day injured list on June 16. His injury was initially diagnosed as a rotator cuff strain but was later revised to right triceps soreness. The Dodgers transferred him to the 60-day injured list on July 13.
The Dodgers signed Yamamoto to a 12-year, $325 million contract before the season, the largest contract for a pitcher in Major League history. Yamamoto pitched the previous seven seasons in Japan for the Orix Buffaloes and won three consecutive Sawamura awards -- the Japanese equivalent of the Cy Young Award -- as well as the previous three Pacific League Most Valuable Player awards. The last player to win three straight MVP awards in Japan prior to Yamamoto was Ichiro Suzuki.