Dodgers B Yoshinobu Yamamoto to miss 'some time' with rotator cuff strain months after signing $325M contract

The Los Angeles Dodgers placed rookie pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto on the 15-day injured list on Sunday, then announced that he has a rotator cuff strain that will be sidelined indefinitely.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts Announce the diagnosis After defeating the Kansas City Royals 3-0. Los Angeles placed him on the 15-day injured list before the game. Per Roberts, the injury is not season-ending, but it will require Yamamoto to miss “some time.”

The Dodgers have not provided a specific timeline for his return. Los Angeles also lost All-Star outfielder Mookie Betts to a broken wrist when he was hit by a pitch in Sunday’s game. The timeline for his return is also unclear.

Yamamoto left Saturday’s game after pitching two innings in Kansas City’s 7-2 win over the Dodgers. He reported triceps tightness to the staff after the second half, prompting the decision to remove him from the game.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto is scheduled to undergo further tests after leaving Saturday's match after two rounds. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis) — Yoshinobu Yamamoto is scheduled to undergo further tests after leaving Saturday’s game. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Yamamoto has thrown 100 or more pitches in each of his previous four starts. He was initially scheduled to face the Texas Rangers on Thursday before his start was postponed to Saturday for rest. He left Saturday’s game after 28 pitches. He allowed one hit, one walk, and no runs for the Royals.

One of the most decorated pitchers in Japanese baseball history, Yamamoto posted a 1.82 ERA over seven seasons in Nippon Professional Baseball. He joined the Dodgers in the offseason as a 25-year-old on a 12-year, $325 million contract, the largest contract for a pitcher in MLB history.

Yamamoto excelled through 14 MLB games with the Dodgers. In 74 innings, Yamamoto has a 2.92 ERA and 1.068 WHIP with 84 strikeouts and 17 walks. The Dodgers entered Sunday 43-29 with a seven-game lead over the second-place San Diego Padres in the NL West.

Per MLB, Dodgers right fielder Bobby Miller is scheduled to come off the injured list and pitch against the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Clayton Kershaw is set to begin a rehab stint with Single-A Rancho Cucamonga upon his return from offseason shoulder surgery that sidelined him all season.