Los Angeles Dodgers New Star Yoshinobu Yamamoto Absolutely Filthy In Cactus League Debut Against Texas Rangers
SURPRISE, Ariz. — Yoshinobu Yamamoto is indeed filthy.
He's nasty in the best of ways for an MLB pitcher making his Cactus League debut on Wednesday.
The Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander, who signed a massive contract in December, held the Texas Rangers scoreless in two innings at Surprise Stadium.
Yamamoto wasn't facing a bunch of minor leaguers, either. More than half of the Rangers' World Series championship-defending lineup started on Wednesday, including Silver Slugger lead-off batter Marcus Semien, who Yamamoto struck out on a 96 mph fastball.
Rangers rising star outfielder Evan Carter singled on a liner to center, and top prospect Wyatt Langford ripped an 0-2 pitch, but it was right at third baseman Max Muncy. The Keller native started an inning-ending 5-4-3 double play.
Yamamoto signed a 12-year, $325 million deal with the Dodgers over the winter out of Japan's NPB league. The 25-year-old right-hander threw 19 pitches, including 16 strikes over two innings of work.
In the second inning, he struck out Nathaniel Lowe with a splitter in the dirt, forced Jonah Heim to fly out to left on the first pitch, and struck out Leody Taveras with another dive-bombing splitter down and in at Taveras' feet.
Yamamoto is one half of a pair of huge Japanese stars who signed with the Dodgers in the offseason. Former Los Angeles Angels slugger/pitcher and MVP Shohei Ohtani signed for a 10-year, $700 million deal earlier in December.
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