Dodgers cautious to have Yoshinobu Yamamoto ‘ready for October’

LOS ANGELES — Tyler Glasnow and Clayton Kershaw will return to the Los Angeles Dodgers’ rotation in the coming days, but the status of Yoshinobu Yamamoto, one of their other top starting pitchers, remains highly uncertain.

Yamamoto was sidelined five weeks ago with a rotator cuff injury and has yet to throw his first workout. He said Sunday his “goal” was to return before the end of the season, with the Dodgers hoping for a return in late August or early September. In a subsequent session with Japanese media, Yamamoto said “of course” he would be back, but added that it was too early to set a timetable for either his return to the mound or his return to MLB games.

So far, Yamamoto has felt no discomfort in stretching his pitching progression to about 200 feet. “Everything is going according to plan,” he said through an interpreter. The Dodgers desperately need Yamamoto to join Glasnow and Kershaw atop their rotation if they hope to make a deep run in October, but they are also aware of their long-term commitment to the Japanese right-hander for up to 12 years at $325 million.

“It’s one of those things where you want to do what’s best for Yoshinobu and make sure he’s healthy now and long term,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “That’s the priority.”

The Dodgers entered the All-Star break with 15 players on the injured list, more than any other team in the major leagues, but they are starting to get healthier. Relief pitcher Joe Kelly was activated Friday and left-handed outfielder Jason Heyward rejoined the lineup Sunday. Glasnow, who had a brief stint on the injured list with lower back tightness, will be activated to start Wednesday night’s game against the division rival San Francisco Giants. Kershaw, who is returning from offseason shoulder surgery, will start the series finale the following afternoon.

Both will proceed with caution.

Glasnow is just 25 innings shy of his career-high 133, set last year, and the Dodgers are making sure his performances continue as the playoffs approach.

Kershaw, 36, has not pitched in a big game in more than nine months. Roberts will be wary of long, stressful innings, especially in Kershaw’s first few starts back.

“We’ll keep an eye on him,” Roberts said, “knowing that the most important thing is to get him ready for October.”

The Dodgers are hopeful that two of their relievers, Brusdar Graterol and Michael Grove, will be back before the end of July. Ryan Brasier, who is nursing a strained calf but is expected to rehab soon, could return soon after. Mookie Betts (fractured left hand), Walker Buehler (hip inflammation) and Max Muncy (oblique strain) aren’t expected to return until August.

The Dodgers are expected to target high-impact players before the July 30 trade deadline and, according to sources familiar with their thinking, will prioritize a front-line starting pitcher — at least in part because it’s too early to know what to expect from Yamamoto.

Yamamoto’s stint on the disabled list came shortly after the best start of his rookie season, when he shut out the New York Yankees for seven innings and threw harder than he had ever thrown in the major leagues. Asked if hitting those speeds or incorporating more sliders into his repertoire caused his arm problems, Yamamoto said, “There’s probably more than one reason. There’s probably some fatigue that built up in the shoulder, so not one reason.

“I feel some frustration. But I have to focus on my rehabilitation. I have to prepare to get back.”