Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Shota Imanaga expected to start for Dodgers

Last updated: February 12, 2025 8:11 pm

Tags: Baseball Sport News

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The Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs will kick off Major League Baseball‘s 2025 regular season on March 18-19 with a two-game set in Tokyo, Japan.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Shota Imanaga expected to start for Dodgers, Cubs in MLB’s Tokyo Series

The host country will be well-represented, particularly on the mound. While nothing has been made official, both sides have signaled that the first game could feature a marquee matchup between Cubs lefty Shota Imanaga and Dodgers righty Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Both pitchers are, of course, from Japan.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters on Wednesday that it’s “fair to say” Yamamoto will get the nod in the first game, according to MLB.com. Roberts added that the Dodgers are also planning for Roki Sasaki to make both his team and MLB debut during that series, depending on his status as the spring progresses. Sasaki’s appearance would be as a starter, not a reliever.

As for the Cubs, Imanaga recently declared the following through an interpreter: “It’s my job to start Opening (Day) in Japan, I think I want to keep my responsibility and do well over there.”

Imanaga and Yamamoto are each entering their second seasons in MLB. Imanaga compiled a 2.91 ERA (137 ERA+) and a 6.21 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 29 starts last year. Yamamoto, conversely, generated a 3.00 ERA (129 ERA+) and a 4.77 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 18 outings. Sasaki, again, will be entering his “rookie” year after joining the Dodgers as an amateur free agent this winter.

Those three pitchers aren’t the only Japanese players on either roster. The Cubs also employ outfielder Seiya Suzuki, while the Dodgers have two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani. Ohtani, by the way, is not expected to make his long-awaited return to the mound until May, meaning that he’s not a candidate to pitch during the opening series in Tokyo.