Dodgers manager gives verdict on Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Hyeseong Kim's Cactus League outing vs. Cubs
Spring Training is here and defending champions LA Dodgers were blown out by the Chicago Cubs 12-4. The game featured several big names playing for the Dodgers, including Yamamoto, who made his Cactus League debut and Hyeseong Kim, who arrived in the majors after signing a three-year, $12.5 million guaranteed contract in the offseason.
Yamamoto pitched 1.2 innings for three hits, no runs and two strikeouts. Meanwhile, Kim had two plate appearances and extracted a walk on one of them.
After the game, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts threw light on both stars and how they performed in the Cactus League opener.
"I thought Yoshinobu looked good," Roberts said. "It was good to get him back out there through that second inning. I thought it was a good workday for him. His command was pretty good, and he used his entire pitch mix. So, it was a positive day for him. But after that, it just wasn't really good."
When about Kim, Roberts said:
"I think even today, coming in knowing he was going to play a game, I thought his focus was a little bit better," Roberts added. "It wasn’t just better—it was good. I thought he had a good game, and it was good to get his feet wet a little bit in a big-league ballgame."
Dodgers plans for Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Hyeseong Kim this spring
The Dodgers have some goals they want to accomplish through Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Hyeseong Kim this spring.
First, they would like Yamamoto to get to a point where he is comfortable going deep into ball games as a starter so that he could adapt to the rigors of the regular season schedule where he'll have to pick the ball every fifth day.
Meanwhile, for Kim, the team plans to play him in multiple positions. Apart from second base, the club could also ask him to play third base and center field sometime during the spring to increase his versatility.
Both stars are expected to be ready to play for the Dodgers in the regular season opener against the Chicago Cubs scheduled on March 18 and 19 as part of the Tokyo Series schedule.