ROKI SASAKI AND YOSHINOBU YAMAMOTO SET TO START IN OPENING SERIES IN JAPAN
Los Angeles - In a month’s time the Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers will face off at the Tokyo Dome to open up the 2025 regular season. This may seem ordinary for Los Angeles as they traveled to Korea back in 2024 to start their year off against the Padres.
It may seem as an obvious decision for Los Angeles, but the Dodgers have yet to decide what Sasaki will be for this rotation in 2025. That was until just a day ago when Dave Roberts told Bob Nightengale that “Yamamoto will start the season opener in Japan”. Roberts also informed Nightengale that Sasaki will likely be the starter for Game 2.
The two countryman in Yamamoto and Sasaki will hold their chin high as they get to pitch for their new clubs back home.
Roki Sasaki was the most covered free agent following Juan Soto’s early signing back in December of 2024. The 23 year old was chased by nearly every major contender in MLB for his talents and financial stability. Due to him being posted by the NPB he will sign a contract valued as a minor leaguer here in the United States. This made him such a valuable player to go after that was able to decide his own fate.
No shocker that he chose to join Ohtani and Yamamoto back in LA, but he will be the starter in Game 2 in a dome he is very comfortable in.
As for Yamamoto this will be his second start in a foreign country for the boys in blue as he pitched in the series against the Padres in 2024. In that start Yoshinobu pitched through only one inning allowing 5 runs on 4 hits. That of course is in the past he dominated in his first regular season, holding a 3.00 ERA through 18 starts.
Shota Imanaga was also confirmed by manager Craig Counsel of the Cubs. Two Japanese pitchers will face off in Game 1 of the 2025 season.
