Yoshinobu Yamamoto keeps giving the Dodgers the same thing every time out: reliability. And that’s exactly what has caught Dave Roberts’ attention as the right-hander works through another strong season.
Through 17 starts, Yamamoto is 9-6 with a 2.85 ERA and a 0.91 WHIP across 110.2 innings, production good enough to land him a second career All-Star Game selection. For a pitcher who entered the majors before the 2024 season with questions about whether his smaller frame could hold up, the answer so far has been clear.
“It’s remarkable,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said of Yamamoto’s success. “I think that obviously, Yoshinobu takes very good care of himself, very intentional about his work, his preparation. He’s just a tough, tough competitor.
“Everything is important to him, and you look at the frame, and you just wonder how much toll, workload he can handle. And I’ve fielded a lot of questions about him and how he’s going to respond after the workload from ’25, and he just continues to be consistent. So, not surprised, and just really impressive.”
Roberts pointed to the way Yamamoto repeats his delivery and uses his body efficiently as a big reason the durability concerns haven’t materialized the way some expected. After missing a large portion of his rookie year, Yamamoto has settled in as a workhorse, averaging more than six innings per start over the last two seasons.
“I think for me, his delivery is so consistent, repeatable,” Roberts said of Yamamoto’s durability. “He uses his body so efficiently, and I just felt, I see how he takes care of himself, that the tax wasn’t going to be a problem for him.
“And there’s been a lot of pitchers that are not physical, starting pitchers that still over the course of the last 20 years, that have taken a lot of innings and workload. And I just think that Yoshinobu is just a unique athlete”
Yamamoto won’t add to that workload in the All-Star Game. He chose to rest instead of pitching during the break, while Shohei Ohtani is also sitting out because of continued irritation in his left knee.
“Yeah, he’s not going to pitch in the All-Star Game,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts confirmed. “That’s right.”
Yamamoto is still in Philadelphia for the events and ceremonies. Roberts said that if the schedule had given Yamamoto extra rest before the break, he likely would have taken the mound, but that wasn’t the case. He would have had only two days of rest, and the timing didn’t line up.
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