The blue crew can finally feel a sense of relief as their promising talent, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, can return to their team in no time. You heard it right: the wait is finally. After over two months of being sidelined, Yamamoto, the star who clinched three consecutive Sawamura awards, is finally returning to game action. Excited? Well, we are too!

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts was the one to break this happy news to the Dodgers fans. According to him, Yamamoto will make a rehab start on Wednesday for Triple-A Oklahoma City. Before joining them for the road series against Round Rock, he’ll be warming up with a bullpen session on Monday. Sounds like he is preparing for a great comeback. So, what does this mean for the Dodgers?

When will Yoshinobu Yamamoto come back to the Dodgers?

If everything goes smoothly with Yamamoto pitching his two innings against Round Rock, how many more rehab appearances do you think he’ll need before rejoining the Dodgers? Most likely, only one, so the fans, the player, and the Dodgers are glued to the game when that happens. Well, here is another good news for the fans. The baseball champ has already shown signs of recovery. Firstly, he was able to pitch two innings in a simulated game on Wednesday. Plus- he could also play catch without issue on Friday.

So, everything right now is going green for the 26-year-old. But let’s keep our fingers crossed and not jinx it! Before his injury, Yamamoto was on fire too—he went 6-2 with a 2.92 ERA in 14 starts. He was really showing what he was capable of, but then things changed. His injury initially seemed like a rotator cuff strain, but later turned out to be right triceps soreness.

Because of that, the Dodgers had to move him to the 60-day injured list on July 13.

And now, a couple of months later, as the pitcher is coming back, the stars’ alignment couldn’t be better as the Dodgers are slowly getting back in the game. Adding Yamamoto back into the mix could be just what the team needs. Great for the team!

Return of Yoshinobu sounds promising for the Dodgers

The Los Angeles Dodgers are currently topping the West League board with 78 wins and 54 losses. Although the competition is tight with the Diamondbacks at 75-57, they are just behind the Padres at 76-58. But currently, the Dodgers are ruling the charts not just in win-loose ratio but also in player stats, too, and stats never lie. At the top of the Dodgers’ star power is obviously Shohei Ohtani, who’s crushing it right now! 

He’s already smacked 41 home runs this season, and get this—he’s just become the sixth player ever to hit 40 home runs and steal 40 bases in the same season. The ultimate catch- he did it faster than anyone else ever has!

Do you know the largest contract for a pitcher in Major League history was done by Dodgers only? Can you guess who this pitcher is? Just like Shohei Ohtani, he’s a Japanese talent. Yes, you guessed it right. It is the man of the moment, Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Dodgers signed a heavy 12-year, $325 million contract before the season with the 26-year-old.

Well, Yamamoto was definitely worth the investment, and the return was showing for the team until June 15, when he started experiencing tightness in his triceps during a start against the Kansas City Royals. He first noticed it while warming up, but didn’t think it was a big deal.

Think: If only he’d taken precautions earlier, he might have avoided that extended downtime. But hey, the good news is he is returning when the Dodgers need him most. With the team only three games ahead in their division, this is a make-or-break moment for the Dodgers.

Will they take the lead and push ahead, or could things go sideways? What’s your take on how things will play out? Let us know in the comments!