GLENDALE, Ariz. — The Dodgers are going to give the people what they want.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Wednesday that Japanese right-handers Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki will likely start the two games in Tokyo against the Chicago Cubs.
Over the weekend, Cubs manager Craig Counsell said Japanese left-hander Shota Imanaga will start one of the Tokyo games for the Cubs, joking that “I think that’s mandated (by MLB). I don’t think I have a choice.”
The two-game series at the Tokyo Dome on March 18 and 19 will feature an unprecedented group of Japanese stars in major-league uniforms – Yamamoto, Sasaki and Shohei Ohtani for the Dodgers, Imanaga and Seiya Suzuki for the Cubs.
“I think it’s fair to say that Yamamoto is going to pitch that first one,” Roberts said before Wednesday’s workout. “With Roki, just kind of obviously, the plan is for him to pitch there. We’ll kind of 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. I don’t want to put him in a box right now.”
The Dodgers will play two exhibition games in Tokyo before facing the Cubs. Roberts said if Sasaki is ready to pitch it will be in one of the regular-season games against the Cubs, not in an exhibition.
Sasaki threw a bullpen session during Wednesday’s workout. At one point, his splitter drew an “Oh, my gosh” from catcher Austin Barnes that could be heard by the dozens of media documenting Sasaki’s spring work.
“His fastball is a big fastball, had a lot of carry, a lot of ride to it,” Barnes said. “The split finger 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.”
Sasaki said he “didn’t feel great” during his first spring throwing session Wednesday.
“There were obviously some nerves and then it was just a little bit colder than I was expecting today and then some mechanical things that my body wasn’t maybe moving the way that I was expecting it to,” he said through an interpreter.
The possibility of making his MLB debut for the Dodgers in Tokyo would be “special,” the 23-year-old right-hander said.
“Obviously the opportunity to open a major-league season in Japan itself is rare,” he said. “So being able to do that as a rookie is even more special. So right now I’m just focused on preparing for that.”
DOMO ARIGATO
When Sasaki signed with the Dodgers this winter, he wanted to wear No. 11 (an homage to his mentor, Padres pitcher Yu Darvish). Veteran infielder Miguel Rojas gave up the number, switching to No. 72 this year, and said he didn’t expect anything in return. A year ago, two-way star Shohei Ohtani gifted a new Porsche to Joe Kelly’s wife in gratitude for Kelly giving up No. 17.
“I’ve always said I want my teammates and the people around me to feel good. So if I said that, it’s my time to deliver,” Rojas said. “So when they asked me (to give up No. 11), it was a no-brainer. I wasn’t attached to the number because I already did in baseball what I wanted to do with that number. I told Roki this morning. It’s your turn to take this number really far.”
Nonetheless, Sasaki gave Rojas a thank you gift Wednesday – three bottles of Dassai sake and a set of serving glasses.
Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani gears up for return to mound, 2-way duties
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