The Los Angeles Dodgers have been dealing with one major issue all season—their pitching staff. While on one side, Shohei Ohtani has been breaking all records in baseball history, on the other, the team was dealing with players getting injured left and right. At the crux of it all was Yoshinobu Yamamoto; Yossy had been sidelined for three months after he strained the rotator cuff on his right shoulder. For a team that’s hoping to not just make it to the playoffs but win the championship, it was a serious blow.

But finally, on Tuesday night, they had that much-needed silver lining. After a lengthy wait, Yoshinobu Yamamoto finally made his comeback, and the air was thick with excitement. Fans wanted to know if their ace still had that magic touch. After all, he has been on the outs since June. The stakes were high because this was the longest stretch that Yossy ever spent on the injured list. So, while there were doubts about whether he could regain his form or be rusty, Yoshinobu silenced all his critics. He didn’t just come back; he did it with a bang.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto is BACK!

Yoshinobu Yamamoto proved that the $325 million contract the Los Angeles Dodgers signed with him this off-season was well worth it. Even after it was his first game after a long stint in the IL, he delivered a stellar performance. Yamamoto came back strong in his first game, striking out the side on only 15 pitches in the first inning and completely messing with the Cubs. Delighted by his successful return, manager Dave Roberts said,“I feel much better about the rotation tonight than I did 24 hours ago. It’s starting to turn in terms of getting back to the rotation that we had envisioned.” After all, in over four innings, Yamamoto struck eight Cubs batters away and allowed only one run. Moreover, his fastball averaged over 96 mph, leaving not just Dave, but even his teammates wide-eyed.

Austin Barnes said, “It was pretty surprising. I didn’t know how he was gonna look coming back, and he looked better than ever.” Well, Yoshinobu Yamamoto did set the tone very early in the game. He struck out three batters consecutively, Ian Happ, Dansby Swanson, and Seiya Suzuki — with a masterful mix of pitches that left them swinging at air. But the game didn’t go at all as expected, even after his strong comeback.

The Los Angeles Dodgers struggled with their defenses, leading to a run in the second inning. But Yossy took control again by striking out the side again when the Cubs lineup turned over at the top of the third and then forced a double play to end the fourth. The Dodgers, because of their poor defenses, ended up losing the game, but for sure Yamamoto was a thunder on the mound. He is now looking to throw 75 pitches on his next start on Monday. 

As Yoshinobu Yamamoto enters, another leaves – Antony Banda to the IL

Just when you thought, the clouds of misfortunes of injured players were shifting from Dodgers — bang! About 50 minutes before the Tuesday game, the Dodgers dropped the torpedo news—Anthony Banda is off to the IL for 15 days. Banda fractured his left hand because he let his frustrations of giving up two runs in his innings on Monday night get to him. From May, Banda has pitched in nearly half the games and put up a solid 3.23 ERA—so, his departure is painful indeed.

Dave Roberts, shaking his head, mentioned, “It was a moment of weakness and frustration where he decided to take on a solid object that ultimately won the battle. Emotions played into it, with the outing he had last night, and it’s something I know he regrets. We all regret it.” Well, Banda’s misjudgment sure comes at a rather poor timing, and given that it is a fracture, it’s unlikely that he can make it back by this season. Brusdar Graterol then got an unexpected call, a return to the mound a day earlier. His season too has been a rollercoaster ride, and he was on the injured list himself for a shoulder inflammation. Then, on Aug 8, he strained his hamstring, and it seemed ‌he would be done for the season.

Thankfully, the injury wasn’t severe, and with a few rehab games in Triple-A, he was back and ready. He made his comeback by throwing the ninth in the Dodgers’ 6-3 loss to the Cubs.While Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s stellar return offered the Dodgers a much-needed boost as they head closer to the playoffs, without Banda, the team is thin on the lefty department. Nonetheless, Dave Roberts is hopeful that Banda will make a quick return.

The clock sure is ticking!