The Los Angeles Dodgers lost Game 3 of the National League Championship Series on Wednesday and face an 0-3 deficit in the best-of-seven series.
They need to win four consecutive games to keep their season alive. If not, it will be a sudden postseason exit.
On Thursday, the Dodgers will look to stave off elimination with right-handed pitcher Tyler Glasnow on the mound. He'll presumably have a short leash as LA is officially in must-win territory.
With that being said, could the Dodgers turn to Yoshinobu Yamamoto in relief at some point in Game 4?
"No," manager Dave Roberts said after Wednesday's game. "You still got to win four [games] to advance."
Roberts was asked again on Thursday.
"No," he said again. "Our bullpen is rested, very, very capable. You've still got to win four, but obviously you've got to win one first, and I completely understand that. But the short answer, no."
For what it's worth, Yamamoto said earlier in the series that he would be open to coming out of the bullpen at some point if Roberts deemed it necessary. Yamamoto pitched on Monday in NLCS Game 2, allowing three runs over 2.2 innings.
“I’m going to get myself ready for any situation,” Yamamoto said through interpreter Yoshihiro Sonoda. “If they want me to go out, then I go out. But for me, just those are key things for me. Postseason is just focusing on the game right in front of me.”
Yamamoto has never pitched in relief in the regular season and has never come out of the bullpen in October. His lone experience in relief came last November, during Game 7 of the 2025 World Series.
On zero days of rest, Yamamoto displayed exactly what is asked of a team's ace on the world's biggest stage. He entered the game with two on and one out in the bottom of the ninth inning, among the most high-leverage situations one can even fathom.
The razor's edge got even thinner as he hit a batter on his second offering of the game to load the bases. A groundout that narrowly reached home plate and a fly out on the very next pitch got him to out of the inning. Despite his lack of rest — and despite the enormous moment — Yamamoto did the unthinkable for 2.2 innings to not only earn the win, but take home World Series MVP honors.
Fast forward to 2026, Yamamoto put together another incredible season. With the team's season potentially on the line, it would make sense for him to be deployed.
At the same time, though, you can't fault Roberts for saying the Dodgers will need Yamamoto if they want to win the entire series, not just one game.
Thus, Tarik Skubal would be set up to pitch Game 5, and Yamamoto would be in line to pitch Game 6. LA just needs to get there first.
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