When is Yoshinobu Yamamoto Coming Back - Fantasy Baseball Injury Return Update

The Los Angeles Dodgers signed Yoshinobu Yamamoto to a massive 12-year, $325 million deal this offseason. That large deal shocked some people around the baseball. But in his first 14 starts this year, Yamamoto has pitched like an ace atop the Dodgers' rotation. 

Los Angeles, though, will be without its ace for quite some time after the right-hander was diagnosed with a strained rotator cuff this past weekend. As a result, Yamamoto was placed on the 15-day injured list on Sunday. 

So, when is Yamamoto coming back? Will he pitch again this season? Let's dive in and find out. 

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Yoshinobu Yamamoto Injury Update for Fantasy Baseball

After coming off his best start of the season, where he threw seven shutout innings with seven strikeouts on a career-high 106 pitches against the New York Yankees, Yamamoto left his start early on June 15 against the Kansas City Royals. The right-hander's velocity was down across the board, and he left after just two innings. 

The team originally said Yamamoto left due to right triceps soreness, but after undergoing more imaging, it was revealed that the rookie has a strained rotator cuff. The right-hander said soreness around his triceps area started in his last outing against the Yankees, and the pain progressed into his most recent start. 

Yoshinobu Yamamoto was disappointed, but in good spirits after suffering a strained rotator cuff.

Dodgers’ Dave Roberts said Yamamoto will rest for two weeks before doing some arm exercises in the next phase of his rehab. pic.twitter.com/XFEwnvZWqa

— Patrick Lyons (@PatrickDLyons) June 17, 2024

The injury is a tough break for a pitcher who was really showing great things on the mound this season. With his strained rotator cuff, though, he is likely out for multiple weeks, if not months. There has been no timeline set for his return, but the manager Dave Roberts did say that Yamamoto will not throw for a couple of weeks.  

Yoshinobu Yamamoto Fantasy Baseball Outlook

The best thing to do with Yamamoto right now in fantasy is to place him in one of your IL spots. Obviously, losing him in fantasy is a massive loss for your pitching staff. However, he should not be dropped by any means. The expectation is that he will return at some point this season, so there is some good news in all of this. 

If you don't roster Yamamoto in fantasy, see what it would take to acquire him. He might not be back until August, but if you are confident that your fantasy team will make the playoffs, why not try to trade for him now while his value is this low? It could pay off in the fantasy playoffs. 

Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Elevated 93mph Fastball. pic.twitter.com/c8tPtY726l

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) June 16, 2024

Yamamoto had a 6-2 record with a 2.92 ERA and 84 strikeouts across 74 innings pitched before his injury. Given those stats, he is obviously worth stashing in one of your IL slots in all formats. 

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