The Los Angeles Dodgers will open the regular season in Tokyo, Japan, against the Chicago Cubs on March 18, a week and a half earlier than the rest of MLB’s opening day.
An earlier start date means players who are rehabbing from injury could miss Opening Day, and Dodgers skipper Dave Roberts is a little worried about having two of his pitchers ready for Tokyo.
USA Today’s Bob Nightengale states, “Dodgers relievers Michael Kopech and Evan Phillips are behind schedule and likely to start the year on the injured list.”
Kopech experienced right foreman inflammation over the winter, and Phillips suffered a tear in his rotator cuff during the 2024 NLCS, which kept him out of the World Series.
Kopech was acquired by the Dodgers at last year’s trade deadline from the Chicago White Sox and played a great role coming out of the bullpen.
The 28-year-old reliever finished the regular season with a 1.13 ERA, striking out 29 batters while recording six saves in 24 innings in Dodger blue.
Oct 30, 2024; New York, New York, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Michael Kopech (45) pitches during the fourth inning against the New York Yankees in game four of the 2024 MLB World Series at Yankee Stadium.
Brad Penner-Imagn Images
The Dodgers most likely knew they could be without Kopech and Phillips for a significant period because they signed Two All-Star relief pitchers, Kirby Yates and Tanner Scott, this winter.
Los Angeles also acquired two elite starting pitchers, Blake Snell and Roki Sasaki. The two could help keep the bullpen fresh, as they eat a majority of innings in their starts.
It’s unfortunate to most likely be down two of the better relievers on the team for the first few weeks of the season, but the goal is to get everyone healthy for the end of the season to try to win back-to-back World Series.
