“I Wasn’t in That Conversation,” Amidst Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s Two-Inning Exit, Dave Roberts Reveals He Didn’t Know about the Ace’s Soreness During Warm-Up

If there’s one thing everyone knows about Dave Roberts is that he cares about his players. So it wasn’t surprising that Yoshinobu Yamamoto was pulled immediately after he first expressed that he felt a tightness in his triceps. However, after the game, Yamamoto revealed that he told the coaches before the game about the tightness but decided to push through. Now the Los Angeles Dodgers skipper has revealed that he wasn’t a part of that discussion.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto had felt sore since his 106-pitch start against the New York Yankees. That was one of the reasons why his start had been pushed from his bobblehead day on Thursday to Saturday. However, even that precaution wasn’t fruitful, as Yamamoto had to be called back after just two innings. Now Dave Roberts has shared that had he known about Yamamoto’s issue before, he wouldn’t have let him start the game.

“I didn’t know until the second inning that he couldn’t go back out there for the third inning,” Dave Roberts said. Later, when asked about Yamamoto telling the coaches about his tightness during the warm-up, Roberts denied being part of the conversation. “I wasn’t in that conversation. I know there was in point in time where we felt that he couldn’t make the start going into today or today,” Roberts finished.

“If that was the case he wouldn’t have made the start,” Roberts said about Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s injury. “In my time here, there have been starters that haven’t made the start that day because they couldn’t make the start and we’ve had to pick up the pieces on pitch.”

The skipper continued to share that had he known that Yamamoto’s injury was serious, he wouldn’t have allowed him to start. However, now that it has happened, the Dodgers have an issue at hand. Their pitching shortage has become even more profound. As for Yamamoto, his durability has made this injury a rather surprising event for Dave Roberts.

Dave Roberts left surprised after Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s injury

Dave Roberts revealed that there is a “high possibility” that Yoshinobu Yamamoto might enter the injured list. “I was surprised,” Roberts said. “He’s been very durable throughout his entire professional career. I think we’ve been very good as far as managing usage and the days.“

So a surprised Roberts has his work cut out for him. Suddenly the Los Angeles Dodgers’ pitching staff looks overworked. Without proper balance, that could lead to further injuries or diminishing performances. The team is already going through a lean phase and this is the last thing they want. How will the skipper deal with this situation? Only time can tell.