Right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto kicked off pool play for Team Samurai Japan on Friday against Chinese Taipei. 

The Los Angeles Dodgers' ace had recently joined Samurai Japan after starting two Cactus League Games. 

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told the media on Thursday that Yamamoto would be scheduled to throw three innings in Samurai Japan's opener. 

Though his day on the mound was cut short due to a high pitch count, he showed flashes of his continued dominance from last season. 

Yamamoto would step off the mound, throwing 2 2/3 innings of shutout ball, striking out two, walking three, and allowing no hits. 

He would settle in early, retiring Chinese Taipei hitters in order to begin his outing. 

His second inning of work would prove to be the crucial point of the night as long at-bats stunted his ability to go deeper in his start. 

The control started to give away as well, but was well managed in big spots. 

Yamamoto earned his second strikeout in his third inning of work. 

Both strikeouts came to fruition via his signature splitter. 

He was unable to finish off the inning after the punchout as he would walk the next two batters he would face. 

Team Samurai Japan manager Hirokazu Ibata stepped up the steps of the dugout after the last walk and went to pull Yamamoto out of the game. 

His two free passes would result in the bases being loaded for his replacement, Shoma Fujihira. 

Yamamoto's outing proved multiple things as the tournament kicks off. 

For one, he is as healthy as can be and ready to start the season. This becomes more evident by the way his pitching arsenal was displayed. 

The velocity and movement on his slow stuff were there. He topped out at 98 mph on his fastball and had the spin rate going for his splitter. 

In his two Cactus League appearances, the right-hander topped out at an average of 94.9 mph on his heater. 

This goes to show that he's not only healthy, but that environment changes everything in the game of baseball. 

Once more, the splitter was his put-away pitch. This was a familiar sight for most of his 2025 campaign. 

Samurai Japan is on the right path in terms of tournament play; their usage of Yamamoto's services on the mound depends on the outcomes of the next few games. 

If Samurai Japan can advance to the knockout rounds, the baseball world might see Yamamoto pitch the distance for a shot at the title. 

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