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The Dodgers’ rotation order is set for the first homestand of the season.
To round out the series against the Arizona Diamondbacks, after Yoshinobu Yamamoto takes the mound Thursday on opening day, he’ll be followed by Emmet Sheehan and Tyler Glasnow. Roki Sasaki is penciled in for Monday against the Cleveland Guardians, followed by Shohei Ohtani on March 31.
Off days on Sunday and April 2 make it possible for the Dodgers to give all their pitchers at least five days’ rest between their first and second starts without needing a sixth starter.
Left-hander Justin Wrobleski is pegged to be that additional starter when the schedule features less frequent days off. In the meantime, he’ll be available to throw multiple innings out of the bullpen.
After starting the season for the Dodgers in Tokyo last year, Yamamoto is looking forward to opening day at Dodger Stadium.
“It’s going to be a different game, and with a different atmosphere,” Yamamoto said through an interpreter. “And then we’re coming off the championship year, then this is the first time I’ll be pitching in front of the Dodgers fans [since then].”
Yamamoto, who was on the mound for the final out of the 2025 season, hasn’t pitched at Dodger Stadium since Game 3 of the National League Division Series against the Philadelphia Phillies.
Sheehan claimed a regular spot in the rotation after returning last June from Tommy John surgery rehab. He had a 2.82 earned-run average through 15 appearances last season.
“I was maybe throwing bullpens right now a year ago,” Sheehan said after his last spring start. “So it’s definitely nice. That’s the main thing, to have my health. Grateful for that every time.”
Sheehan wrapped up Cactus League play with a 5.91 ERA in three starts, but he was encouraged by the progress he made in syncing up his delivery.
Glasnow capped his strong spring with five innings of one-run baseball against the Angels on Sunday.
“When everything’s lined up and feeling good … I think a lot of the other stuff follows,” Glasnow said. “And I was just able to go out and be myself.”
He recorded 11 strikeouts against the Angels, leaning on his curveball as his putaway pitch. It generated a 72% whiff rate, according to Statcast.
“Having my curveball feel so good, I kind of just leaned on it,” Glasnow said. “I’m sure things will change in-season, game to game. But tonight, it was a pretty obvious game plan for me.”
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Sasaki struggles against Angels
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Dodgers fans booed Sasaki in the first inning Monday when he walked the Angels’ Jorge Soler with the bases loaded. Then he walked the next batter, Yoán Moncada, prompting manager Dave Roberts to temporarily pull Sasaki.
Sasaki had issued free passes to four of the five batters he faced.
He returned in the second and hit Zach Neto and walked Mike Trout. But this time, he got out of the jam with two ground balls.
Sasaki exited for the final time with no outs in the fourth inning. He walked six batters and recorded just six outs. He was charged with five runs.
Roberts said before the game he wanted Sasaki to tap into compete mode in his final start before the season.
“If he could just stay external and focus on executing pitches and the sequencing, I think he’ll be just fine,” Roberts said.
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Ohtani to start in Freeway Series finale
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The Dodgers wrap up spring training Tuesday with Ohtani on the mound. Roberts said last week he expects Ohtani to pitch about five innings in his regular-season debut.
Though participating in the World Baseball Classic as a position player slowed Ohtani’s ramp-up as a pitcher, he is much further along than last season, when he started building up from one inning in mid-June.
Ohtani said last week that he sees 25 starts as an important benchmark for starters. But added, through an interpreter: “What I think is more important is to just be flexible, adjustable, and making sure that we’re having the [larger] goal in mind rather than the starts that we need to make.”
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Ribbon board delay
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Dodger Stadium will be sporting Uniqlo Field sponsorship signs on opening day, but through at least the weekend, it will be missing its ribbon boards.
The Dodgers’ new ribbon boards were delayed by a shipping mishap. They could be installed as early as next week.
The post Dodgers reveal their starting rotation plans; Roki Sasaki gets booed appeared first on Los Angeles Times.
