The Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs will get the 2025 MLB season started with a two-game set at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan on March 18 and 19. The Dodgers are extremely popular in Japan due to their trio of standout Japanese players in Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki, and now their overseas fans will have the chance to see them in-person in Tokyo.
Ahead of the season-opening series, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts announced the team's pitching plans for the game on March 18. In a fitting decision, Roberts declared that Yamamoto would toe the rubber for L.A. in the first of the two games.
"I think the expectation for both those guys (Yamamoto and Sasaki) to pitch is real." said Roberts. He noted that the team is anticipating having Yamamoto on the mound for first game, while Sasaki will likely follow as the starter for the second game. Ohtani doesn't figure to be ready to pitch in that series, but he will likely be in the lineup as the DH.
Roberts made clear that he's not expecting either pitcher to throw a usual starter's workload as they continue to ramp up for the season, so there figures to be plenty of bullpen arms getting into the games.
After the two-game set in Tokyo, the Dodgers return to the U.S. and will host the Detroit Tigers in a three-game series from March 27-29.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Dave Roberts Declares Dodgers' Opening Day Starter vs. Cubs in Tokyo.
