Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s name is on the National League All-Star roster for the second straight year, but his actual role in the game is still up in the air.
The Dodgers right-hander is scheduled to make one more start on Saturday, July 11, just three days before the 2026 MLB All-Star Game at Citizens Bank Park on Tuesday, July 14. That timing leaves him with only two days of rest if he were to appear in the exhibition, though a brief outing could still fit as a stand-in for a bullpen session or a normal throw day.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts hasn’t made the call yet, and he said the decision may come down to how badly Yamamoto wants to take part.
“I think for me it’s a read-and-react. Let’s just get him through his start, and then we’ll see how he feels,” Roberts said. “And also, it’s kind of if he really wants it, and if it makes sense, I think we’ll have that conversation.”
Roberts will manage the NL team for the second year in a row after another World Series title, so if Yamamoto does pitch, the most likely scenario would be a quick appearance - maybe one out to close out an inning.
If the Dodgers opt to keep him out of the game, Justin Wrobleski could be in position to take that roster spot. Still, the National League pool is crowded with pitchers who also have a case, including Zack Wheeler, Kyle Harrison and Foster Griffin, so Wrobleski may not be the next arm MLB turns to.
Yamamoto’s first half has been loaded with numbers that explain why he made the team. He’s 8-5 with a 2.67 ERA, 3.41 FIP and 0.89 WHIP over 97.2 innings, while striking out 24.1% of hitters and walking only 5.1%.
He also recently joined Greg Maddux as the only MLB pitchers over the last 50 years to retire their final 20 batters on three separate occasions.
His latest run of dominance came against the Chicago White Sox, when he nearly threw a perfect game. That outing made him the first pitcher in MLB history to retire the final 22 hitters in his last outing, then the first 22 batters of his next start.
That stretch eventually reached 45 straight batters retired, tying Mark Buehrle’s 2009 mark for the second-longest streak in MLB history. The record is 46, set by Yusmeiro Petit in 2014.
Yamamoto also joined Jake Arrieta as the only pitchers to post 12 straight road quality starts while allowing 46 or fewer hits since earned runs became an official stat in 1913.
In Other News...
Blake Snell Just Gave Dodgers Fans A Reason To Believe Again
Blake Snells recovery has moved into a more encouraging phase for the Dodgers, with the left-hander saying he feels the best he has in two years after elbow surgery and has no pain in his arm. Snell has already been facing live hitters as he works his way back from the procedure, and the next step in his return should be a rehab assignment before he tries to rejoin the starting rotation.
For a team that has had to manage plenty of pitching uncertainty, any sign that Snell is trending toward a mid-August return matters. His surgery used a NanoNeedle procedure to remove loose bodies from his elbow, and while the final stretch of the comeback still has to play out, the early signs are at least giving Dodgers fans a reason to think the rotation could get a meaningful boost soon. [Read more 🡒]
Dodgers Trade Proposal Puts Orioles In A Tough Spot With Lefty
The Dodgers are still weighing ways to add pitching before the trade deadline, and one idea on the table would send them after a left-hander who has quietly rebuilt his value over the summer. Baltimores Trevor Rogers has looked much sharper in recent weeks, which is exactly the kind of rebound that can make a front office pause and ask whether the market price is about to rise.
For Los Angeles, the question is less about whether Rogers can help and more about how much prospect capital it should be willing to part with to get him. Jackson Ferris remains one of the organizations more intriguing young arms, while Ryan Ward has also put himself on the radar as a depth bat, so any deal built around those two would force the Dodgers to decide how aggressively they want to chase immediate rotation help. [Read more 🡒]
Dodgers Still Have One Lineup Problem That Could Haunt October
The Dodgers have spent much of the season trying to solve a lineup question that sits just behind Shohei Ohtani, where production has been uneven enough to keep drawing manager Dave Roberts back to the topic. The No. 2 spot is supposed to be a bridge between Ohtani and the rest of the order, but the team has rotated several accomplished hitters through it without finding much consistency, leaving a small but persistent hole in a lineup built to overwhelm opponents.
Roberts has acknowledged there may be a mental side to the job, with hitters feeling the weight of batting directly behind Ohtani, though he stopped short of saying he knows that for certain. The Dodgers are still weighing options for later in the season, including a possible look at Will Smith when he returns from injury, and the answer could matter more in October than it has in the regular season if this one spot continues to lag. [Read more 🡒]