Yamamoto (6-4, 2.68) draws Sean Burke for a 3:10 PM CT first pitch at Rate Field, with the Dodgers needing him to do what he just did in Anaheim — eat the lineup alive and quiet the room. His last time out he went 8 innings on 93 pitches, gave up 2 hits and a single run, and reportedly retired his final 22 hitters in a row. That is the version LA needs against a White Sox team suddenly playing like a real baseball club.
Because Chicago is not the punchline anymore. The Sox are 37-31, they took the opener 8-2, and they are now 19-3 in their last 22 at home. Andrew Benintendi went deep on Friday, Chase Meidroth had 3 hits, and Anthony Kay carved up a Dodger lineup playing without Shohei Ohtani. Will Venable's group has a real pulse, and they get Burke (3-3, 3.88) coming off a tidy start against Detroit — 5.1 innings, 1 earned, 6 punchouts.
The Dodgers, meanwhile, look like a M*A*S*H unit with a $300 million payroll. Ohtani is day-to-day with a left knee issue, though Friday imaging showed no structural damage, which is the only piece of good news LA has gotten in a week. Will Smith is on the 10-day with a neck problem. Teoscar Hernandez and Kike Hernandez are out for weeks. Tommy Edman could return Tuesday, but Tuesday is not today. The rotation is hollowed out behind Yamamoto — Glasnow, Snell, Stone, and Miller are all on the 60-day.
- Day-To-DayShohei Ohtani DH — Imaging on Ohtani's left knee revealed Friday that he isn't dealing with any structural damage, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.
- Day-To-DayJustin Wrobleski SP — Manager Dave Roberts said Thursday that Wrobleski (hamstring) is expected to be able to make his next start, Maddie Lee of the Los Angeles Times reports.
- Day-To-DayChris Campos SP
- 10-Day-ILWill Smith C — The Dodgers will place Smith (neck) on the 10-day injured list Thursday, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.
- 10-Day-ILTeoscar Hernandez LF — Hernandez (hamstring) said Saturday that he expects to return from the injured list in about a month, Jack Harris of the California Post reports.
- 10-Day-ILEnrique Hernandez 1B — Hernandez is expected to be out for 6-to-8 weeks after sustaining a "significant tear" of his left oblique during Tuesday's 15-6 win over the Rockies, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.
- 15-Day-ILBrock Stewart RP — Stewart (foot) will begin a rehab assignment at Single-A Ontario on Friday.
- 60-Day-ILTommy Edman 2B — Manager Dave Roberts said Friday that Edman (ankle) could return from the injured list Tuesday, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.
- Day-To-DayTim Elko 1B — no
- Day-To-DayMason Adams RP — The White Sox announced that Adams underwent successful Tommy John surgery Wednesday, Scott Merkin of MLB.com reports.
- 10-Day-ILMunetaka Murakami 1B — White Sox manager Will Venable said Monday that Murakami (hamstring) stayed back in Chicago during the team's road trip and was given a platelet-rich plasma injection, James Fegan of SoxMachine.com reports.
- 15-Day-ILJordan Hicks RP — Hicks (lat) will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Charlotte on Saturday, James Fegan of SoxMachine.com reports.
- 15-Day-ILNoah Schultz SP — Schultz (knee) threw a bullpen session Wednesday, James Fegan of SoxMachine.com reports.
- 15-Day-ILTyler Gilbert RP — The White Sox placed Gilbert on the 15-day injured list Wednesday with a left shoulder impingement.
- 60-Day-ILKyle Teel C — White Sox manager Will Venable said Friday that Teel (knee/hamstring) will embark on a rehab assignment soon and is working toward returning from the 60-day injured list in the next few days, Bruce Levine of 670TheScore.com reports.
- 60-Day-ILAustin Hays LF — Hays has been pulled off his rehab assignment at Triple-A Charlotte due to a recurrence of left calf soreness, Scott Merkin of MLB.com reports.
That is the whole game in a sentence: Yamamoto vs. a lineup that just hung 8 on Roki Sasaki, with a banged-up offense behind him trying to scratch out enough against Burke. The Sox have won 4 of their last 5 including a weird scoreless tie against Atlanta. The Dodgers have dropped 3 of their last 5 and just got embarrassed in the opener. Momentum is real, and right now it is wearing pinstripes from the wrong side of town.
If Yamamoto goes 7 strong, this is a different conversation. If he is anything less than that, the Dodger bullpen — already missing Phillips, Graterol, and Stewart — is the soft underbelly Chicago feasted on Friday. First pitch is 3:10 PM CT, and the South Side is going to be loud either way.