This article was generated by artificial intelligence and is automatically updated as news breaks. All credit belongs to the original reporters and their publications.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto lost eight pounds due to an illness, per Dodger Blue. Despite dealing with the weight loss, the right-hander still turned in a quality outing in the middle game of last week’s series against the Boston Red Sox at Dodge Stadium, allowing three runs on four hits while collecting three strikeouts across eight innings of work.

Yamamoto has been one of the most closely watched arms in baseball since he signed with the Dodgers ahead of the 2024 season. The former NPB star came over from the Orix Buffaloes with massive expectations, and he’s largely delivered on them when healthy. His ability to grind through eight innings while physically compromised speaks to the kind of competitor he is. That start marked his fourth this season of at least eight innings — a testament to his durability and efficiency when he’s locked in. Losing eight pounds to illness is no small thing for a pitcher who relies on precise mechanics and repeatable delivery, so the fact that he still gave us eight strong frames is genuinely impressive.

The weight loss is something to keep an eye on going forward. Eight pounds is significant for any athlete, and for a pitcher it can affect velocity, stamina, and command — all things that matter down the stretch and into October. Yamamoto appears to have pitched through the worst of it, but we’ll want to see him back at full strength in his next start. If the illness is behind him and he’s putting the weight back on, this is more of an interesting footnote than a real concern.

For the Dodgers, Yamamoto’s toughness here is a good sign. We need our starters eating innings, especially with some of the bullpen and rotation uncertainty we’ve been dealing with. A guy who can go out there feeling lousy and still give you eight innings of three-run ball is exactly the kind of arm you want leading a postseason rotation. The sweep by Boston stung — no way around that — but Yamamoto’s start was a bright spot in an otherwise rough series. As long as he’s healthy and back to full strength, I’m not worried about this one. It’s actually reassuring to see what he can do even when he’s not at 100 percent.

Source(s): Staff (Dodger Blue) | First reported: August 8, 2026 6:46 PM UTC

God Bless and Go Dodgers