Roberts: Expect Yamamoto, Sasaki to start in Tokyo Series
Sonja Chen
@sonjamchenGLENDALE, Ariz. -- With the upcoming Tokyo Series set to feature a pair of storied Major League franchises with plenty of talent from Japan, the Dodgers are planning to have two of their most intriguing arms take center stage on home soil.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki are likely to start for Los Angeles when the team opens the season in Tokyo next month, manager Dave Roberts said Wednesday. Yamamoto would get the ball for Game 1 on March 18, while Sasaki would take the mound in Game 2 on March 19.
"I think it's fair to say that Yamamoto's gonna pitch that first one," Roberts said. "With Roki ¡ the plan is for him to pitch there. We'll figure out when. A lot of it is more contingent on the unknown of how he responds to Spring Training and his buildup, and we just want to make sure that he's in a good position and feels good about when he pitches."
On the opposing side, Shota Imanaga is expected to get the ball for the Cubs in the opener, setting the stage for a thrilling matchup between two top arms who went from NPB to MLB last season.
Yamamoto, whose 12-year, $325 million contract gives him the most guaranteed money of any pitcher in Major League history, missed nearly three months due to injury but posted a 3.00 ERA across 18 starts in his rookie season. After a bumpy postseason debut, he put together three strong starts to help the Dodgers to their eighth World Series title, starting with a redemptive NLDS Game 5 vs. the Padres' Yu Darvish that was also the first MLB postseason matchup between two Japanese-born starters.
When the Dodgers began the season in Seoul last year, Yamamoto got the nod for Game 2. This would be his first career Opening Day start.
After being posted by his NPB team, the Chiba Lotte Marines, Sasaki chose to sign with the Dodgers. The 23-year-old right-hander went 29-15 with a 2.10 ERA and 505 strikeouts in 394 2/3 innings across four seasons with the Marines, and he is viewed as one of the most talented young pitchers in the world.
Should he take the ball in Tokyo, it would mark Sasaki's highly anticipated Major League debut.
If Sasaki isn't feeling ready for regular-season action when the Dodgers leave Arizona, the team could instead consider pitching him in one of the exhibition games prior to the Tokyo Series. The Dodgers play the Yomiuri Giants and the Hanshin Tigers at the Tokyo Dome. Both games are on March 15, at 3 a.m. and 8 p.m. PT, respectively.
"I think anything's on the table," Roberts said. "But I think it's pretty fair to say it would be to pitch in the second game of the season. But if it doesn't line up, then it doesn't line up."
One thing's for certain, though: If Sasaki appears in the Tokyo Series, he'll be a starting pitcher. The Dodgers want to keep him in the role he's accustomed to in order to help his transition to the big leagues go smoothly.
Even with Shohei Ohtani drawing plenty of attention as he prepares to return to a two-way role, Sasaki has been watched closely in the early days of camp, with several dozen media members turning up to see his first bullpen session on Wednesday.
Sporting a bright yellow glove on his left hand, Sasaki threw in front of Dodgers executives, coaches and players -- including Clayton Kershaw -- and even uncorked a particularly nasty offering that made catcher Austin Barnes exclaim, "Oh my gosh!"
"His fastball is a big fastball, had a lot of carry, a lot of ride to it," Barnes said. "The split-finger [fastball] is different. I haven't really seen a pitch like that before. It's different than Yamamoto's. It's good. It's hard to catch sometimes. It's moving all over the place."
Speaking through interpreter Yuji Akimoto later, Sasaki said he "didn't necessarily feel great" while throwing, which he attributed to nerves and the chilly weather. He was regardless happy to get through his first bullpen session of the spring -- and continue to build toward what lies ahead.
"Obviously, the opportunity to open a Major League season in Japan itself is rare," Sasaki said. "Being able to do that as a rookie is even more special. So right now, I'm just focused on preparing for that."