Dodgers’ Yoshinobu Yamamoto leaves game with concerning injury

Apr 25, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto (18) walks to the dugout after the third out against the Washington Nationals during the second inning at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto on Saturday was pulled early from his start against the Kansas City Royals due to an arm injury.

Yamamoto pitched two shutout innings at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, Calif. before suffering a triceps injury. The team announced the news via X.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto left tonight’s game with triceps tightness.

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) June 16, 2024

Yamamoto’s pitches usually hit close to 100 mph. But on Saturday, his velocity on both his four-seam fastball and off-speed pitches was noticeably lower than usual.

Yamamoto was supposed to start on Thursday against the Texas Rangers, which was also his first bobblehead night at Dodger Stadium. However, the Dodgers postponed his start for two days to give him additional rest.

Yamamoto has been electric to start off his first season stateside. The 25-year-old righty has a 6-2 record with an ERA of 2.92 and WHIP of 1.07 across 14 starts. Yamamoto has even impressed fans during pregame warmups, where the Japanese flamethrower has been able to show off his cannon of an arm in other ways.

The Dodgers signed Yamamoto to a record-breaking contract in the offseason. Losing him for a significant amount of time would be a huge blow to their pitching staff.