“He’s obviously a really talented pitcher, really competing well,” Roberts said in the visitors’ dugout at Target Field. “I think that what we haven’t seen is, from start to finish, that he’s been synced up with his delivery.

“He’s a big guy (6-foot-8). There’s a lot of things going everywhere. So to kind of keep that under control is not easy, certainly. So I’m looking forward to, from pitch one to pitch 101, to have it synced up and it’s going to be a lot of fun.”

The Minnesota Twins had that syncing feeling Tuesday.

Glasnow overwhelmed a young Twins lineup, allowing just three hits while striking out 14 in seven scoreless innings as the Dodgers won, 6-3.

“That’s exactly what we were looking for,” Roberts said after the dominant performance. “We’ve seen Tyler over the years from the other side, and this is one of those things from pitch one to pitch 90 or 87, whatever it was tonight, he had complete control of the game.

“You look at the big leagues, he’s an ace for any team. He demonstrated that tonight, I thought.”

Glasnow struck out 10 of the first 15 batters he faced including six in a row at one point. The only hitter in the Twins’ lineup Glasnow did not strike out Tuesday was their No. 9 hitter, rookie outfielder Austin Martin. Martin doubled off the glove of a diving James Outman in right-center field in the third inning for his first major-league hit – and the Twins’ only hit in the first five innings – then pulled a hard ground ball down the third-base line for another double in the sixth.

“I felt just a lot more balanced today,” Glasnow said of syncing up his mechanics. “I think just everything like my direction going towards home was more consistent than normal and I think everything was able to tunnel off of it. I think even the couple misfires were misfires in the zone, so (I was) just being able to throw more strikes and get ahead of guys.”

The 14 strikeouts tied Glasnow’s career-high – and he knew it.

“I always do. I’d lie if I said I didn’t. I had them tallied up, for sure,” he said of keeping a mental count of his Ks, something he has done since he was a kid.

“Yeah, it’s like subconscious at this point. I think you’re unaware of it. Sometimes I’ll be off a bit but for the most part I kinda know, yeah.”

Glasnow became the first Dodgers starter of the season to pitch into the seventh inning and he did it with ease, completing seven innings on just 88 pitches (65 for strikes). According to OptaStats, Glasnow is the first pitcher to strike out 14 or more batters while throwing fewer than 90 pitches since pitch counts started to be officially kept in 1988.

The Twins couldn’t touch Glasnow’s four-seam fastball. He threw 45 of them (averaging 96.2 mph). The Twins swung at 25 of them, missed 12, fouled off seven and put just six in play. They took another 12 for called strikes.

They didn’t fare much better against his slider, missing six of the 12 they swung at, or the curveball, missing three times for a whopping 21 swings-and-misses in all.

“I thought he was really good,” Dodgers catcher Will Smith said. “He was attacking the zone, getting ahead and putting guys away.

“You’re just making sure you’re mixing speeds, mixing locations, making sure you don’t let guys keyhole and get on him. So, yeah, I thought he did a really good job tonight. It was fun to catch.”

The Dodgers backed Glasnow with three-run home runs in back-to-back innings.

James Outman was 2 for 25 with 14 strikeouts in that stretch before hitting the go-ahead home run in the seventh inning of Monday’s win. He joked about doing the same cricket bat hitting drills as Shohei Ohtani, hoping to get the same results as the hot-hitting Ohtani.

It might be working. Outman singled in his first at-bat Tuesday then launched a three-run home run 422 feet to straightaway center field in the fourth inning for the Dodgers’ first runs of the game.

Mookie Betts’ hot start has given way to Ohtani’s current 12-for-27 tear over his past six games, both obscuring the fact that Smith is hitting as well as either of them.

Smith has hits in 10 of his first 12 games, multiple hits in five of those. His 2-for-5 night against the Twins left his batting average at an even .400.

His second hit of the night Tuesday was the Dodgers’ second three-run home run, an opposite-field drive that doubled their lead in the fifth inning.

“I think he likes it that way, as far as being under the radar,” Roberts said. “He’s hitting fourth in a pretty dang good lineup so he’s not going unnoticed here. I think he’s an All-Star. A star player. He’s very consistent.

“I think the ‘Big 3’ certainly gets a lot of media attention. But that four hitter is pretty dang good too. He’s very consistent. He’s exactly what we need behind those three guys.”

The Twins were so relieved to see Glasnow leave the game after seven innings that they hit three home runs in the last two – one off of Alex Vesia in the eighth and back-to-back shots off Connor Brogdon in his Dodgers debut in the ninth.

“It’s been going according to plan,” Ohtani said through his interpreter on Monday.

Six-and-a-half months out from his second elbow-reconstruction surgery, Ohtani is two weeks into the start of his throwing program. At this point, that means playing catch from 60 feet or closer for a limited number of throws.

“Just stretching out a little bit, increasing the intensity a little bit,” Ohtani said. “It’s been going pretty well.”

Unlike his time as a two-way player, Ohtani’s throwing program has virtually no impact on the time he’s able to devote to preparing for games as a hitter at this point. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts doesn’t see that changing any time soon.

“As far as him progressing, the main thing is for us to feel he’s ready to pitch in ’25,” Roberts said. “Nothing that we do should impact that going forward.”

Without the drain of pitching, Roberts expects to write Ohtani’s name in at DH every game with no plans for off days unless things change. The Dodgers have four off days in the first three weeks of April and won’t play more than seven consecutive days until a road trip to Washington, Toronto and Arizona at the end of this month.

“I think that, where we’re at, the two games that we had in Korea, lends itself to more off days once we started here stateside,” he said. “If I start to see or hear or talk to Shohei and he says he might need a day off, we’ll have that conversation. Right now, with the off days I don’t see it coming in awhile.”

It figures to be a long while before the Dodgers have any conversations with Ohtani about playing in the field. During spring training, Roberts raised that as a possibility when Ohtani has progressed far enough in his throwing program. But Roberts was dismissive of the idea this week.

“This year, I just don’t see how he’s not going to be a DH,” he said. “He’s building up with his throwing program. If there’s a conversation in September to run him out there to spell somebody else, a day of defense, we can have that conversation. But we’re not even close to that.

“Status quo is fine. If it changes in September, then we’ll have a discussion.”

SECOND HALF

The Dodgers’ early start in South Korea skews the numbers. But the sixth through ninth spots in their batting order combined to strike out 65 times in their first 13 games. The individual totals in the sixth and eighth spots rank first in MLB. Their seventh-spot hitters are second.

Individually, Teoscar Hernandez (who typically bats sixth) and Max Muncy rank first and second in MLB in strikeouts. James Outman (15 strikeouts in his first 37 at-bats) and Chris Taylor (10 in his first 22) have added to the strikeout-heavy bottom half of the Dodgers’ lineup.

For most of those hitters, this is not surprising. Taylor led the National League in strikeouts in 2018 (with 178) and has struck out at least 160 times in two of the previous three seasons. Hernandez was second in the American League with 211 strikeouts last season. Outman was fourth in the National League with 181 strikeouts as a rookie last year.

But Roberts said he doesn’t want to view past performance as inevitably predictive of future results.

“I don’t feel good about conceding the fact that they’re just going to go up there and swing and miss, certain guys,” he said. “I do think that there’s a role that everyone has in the order and (you should) work to get better at it. Yeah, CT’s got swing-and-miss in his swing but I still think he can get better and I think the same thing with James.

“Hitting is hard. I do just want to see good at-bats.”

ALSO

Right-hander Dinelson Lamet has cleared waivers and rejoined Triple-A Oklahoma City. Lamet was designated for assignment by the Dodgers over the weekend.

UP NEXT

Dodgers (RHP Bobby Miller, 1-1, 5.87 ERA) at Twins (RHP Chris Paddack, 0-0, 4.50 ERA), Wednesday, 10:10 a.m. PT, SportsNet LA, MLB Network, 570 AM

The 27-year-old is scheduled to be arraigned May 2 on two counts of domestic battery and a count each of spousal battery, false imprisonment and assault at the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center in Los Angeles, court records show.

An attorney for Urías didn’t immediately respond to an email seeking comment on the charges.

The charges were filed with the court on Monday, said Ivor Pine, deputy director of communications for Los Angeles City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto.

In January, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office declined to file a felony case against Urías and instead referred the matter to the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office for consideration of whether a misdemeanor case was warranted.

Urías, who became a free agent at the end of the 2023 season, was arrested Sept. 3 by police in Exposition Park following a much-publicized soccer match between LAFC and Inter Miami — featuring star Lionel Messi — at BMO Stadium. He posted bond and was released the next day.

The alleged victim in the case was Urías’ wife, according to a District Attorney’s Office charge evaluation worksheet in January.

“They engaged in an argument whereby the defendant pushed the victim against a fence and pulled her by the hair or shoulders,” according to the document. “Neither the victim’s injuries nor the defendant’s criminal history justify a felony filing. The case is accordingly referred to the city attorney for misdemeanor filing consideration.”

Urías was placed on administrative leave by Major League Baseball days after his arrest, and the Dodgers issued a statement saying the team was cooperating fully with the investigation.

“The Dodgers take all allegations of the kind in this case very seriously, and we do not condone or excuse any acts of domestic violence,” the team said.

MLB said in a statement Tuesday that its investigation is ongoing but declined to comment further.

A conviction on the spousal battery, domestic battery or false imprisonment means up to a year in county jail or a fine or both jail time and fine, according to Pine.

The assault charge carries a sentence of up to six months in county jail or a fine of up to $1,000 or both, he said.

The fine for spousal battery is up to $6,000, up to $2,000 for domestic battery and up to $1,000 for false imprisonment, Pine said.

Urías was 11-8 during the 2023 season with a 4.60 earned-run average. He began his Major League Baseball career with the Dodgers in 2016, and has a lifetime record of 60-25 with a 3.11 ERA.

He was suspended for 20 games in 2019 by MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred for an incident in the parking lot of the Beverly Center on May 13 of that year. TMZ reported that a witness called police saying that Urías was arguing with a woman and shoved her to the ground. Officers responded to the scene and spoke with the woman, who denied anything physical took place, insisting it was nothing more than a heated argument.

Urías was arrested on suspicion of misdemeanor domestic battery in that incident, but no charges were filed.

Southern California News Group Staff writer Ruby Gonzales and The Associated Press contributed to this report

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  Dodgers starting pitcher James Paxton delivers during the first inning of a baseball game against the Minnesota Twins, Monday, April 8, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

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  Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani adjusts his helmet while batting during the first inning of a baseball game against the Minnesota Twins, Monday, April 8, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

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  Minnesota Twins pitcher Bailey Ober delivers during the first inning of a baseball game against the Dodgers, Monday, April 8, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

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  Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani hits a double during the first inning of a baseball game against the Minnesota Twins, Monday, April 8, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

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  Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani hits a double during the first inning of a baseball game against the Minnesota Twins, Monday, April 8, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

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  Minnesota Twins center fielder Byron Buxton fields a double hit by the Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani during the first inning of a baseball game Monday, April 8, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

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  Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani runs toward second base after hitting a double against the Minnesota Twins during the first inning at Target Field on April 8, 2024 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Matt Krohn/Getty Images)

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  Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani reacts after hitting a double against the Minnesota Twins during the first inning at Target Field on April 8, 2024 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Matt Krohn/Getty Images)

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  Minnesota Twins pitcher Bailey Ober delivers a pitch against the Dodgers during the first inning at Target Field on April 8, 2024 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Matt Krohn/Getty Images)

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  Dodgers star Freddie Freeman hits an RBI sacrifice fly against the Minnesota Twins during the first inning at Target Field on April 8, 2024 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Matt Krohn/Getty Images)

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  Minnesota Twins pitcher Bailey Ober reacts after issuing a walk to the Dodgers’ Mookie Betts during the first inning of a baseball game Monday, April 8, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

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  Dodgers star Mookie Betts is congratulated in the dugout after scoring on a sacrifice fly hit by Freddie Freeman during the first inning against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field on April 8, 2024 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Matt Krohn/Getty Images)

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  Dodgers starting pitcher James Paxton winds up to deliver during the first inning of a baseball game against the Minnesota Twins, Monday, April 8, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

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  Dodgers starting pitcher James Paxton throws to the plate during the first inning of their game against the Minnesota Twins on Monday in Minneapolis. (Photo by Matt Krohn/Getty Images)

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  Minnesota Twins outfielder Byron Buxton walks back to the dugout after striking out during the first inning of a game against the Dodgers, Monday, April 8, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

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  The Minnesota Twins’ Byron Buxton reacts after striking out against the Dodgers during the first inning at Target Field on April 8, 2024 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Matt Krohn/Getty Images)

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  Minnesota Twins pitcher Bailey Ober winds up to deliver during the first inning of a game against the Dodgers, Monday, April 8, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

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  Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani bats during the third inning of a baseball game against the Minnesota Twins, Monday, April 8, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

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  The Minnesota Twins’ Manuel Margot, left, celebrates his two-run home run with Ryan Jeffers during the third inning against the Dodgers at Target Field on April 8, 2024 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Matt Krohn/Getty Images)

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  The Dodgers’ James Outman walks back to the dugout after striking out during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Minnesota Twins, Monday, April 8, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

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  Dodgers star Mookie Betts, right, reacts after striking out against the Minnesota Twins during the fifth inning at Target Field on April 8, 2024 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Matt Krohn/Getty Images)

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  Dodgers starting pitcher James Paxton delivers during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Minnesota Twins, Monday, April 8, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

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  The Minnesota Twins’ Byron Buxton gestures after hitting a single during the fifth inning of a game against the Dodgers, Monday, April 8, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

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  Dodgers second baseman Gavin Lux fields a ball hit by the Minnesota Twins’ Carlos Santana during the fifth inning at Target Field on April 8, 2024 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Matt Krohn/Getty Images)

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  Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani, left, hits a double during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Minnesota Twins, Monday, April 8, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

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  Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani hits a double against the Minnesota Twins during the sixth inning against at Target Field on April 8, 2024 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Matt Krohn/Getty Images)

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  Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani watches his double during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Minnesota Twins, Monday, April 8, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

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  Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani gestures toward the dugout after hitting a double during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Minnesota Twins, Monday, April 8, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

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  Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani, left, crosses home plate to score off an RBI single by Freddie Freeman during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Minnesota Twins, Monday, April 8, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

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  Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani, right, crosses home plate to score on an RBI single by Freddie Freeman during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Minnesota Twins, Monday, April 8, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

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  Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani is congratulated after scoring on a single hit by Will Smith during the sixth inning against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field on April 8, 2024 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Matt Krohn/Getty Images)

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  Minnesota Twins shortstop Carlos Correa, right, reacts to a safe call at second base against the Dodgers’ Freddie Freeman during the sixth inning of the Los Angeles Dodgers at Target Field on April 8, 2024 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Matt Krohn/Getty Images)

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  Minnesota Twins center fielder Byron Buxton, right, celebrates with teammate Manuel Margot after making a diving catch on a ball hit by the Dodgers’ Teoscar Hernández during the sixth inning at Target Field on April 8, 2024 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Matt Krohn/Getty Images)

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  Minnesota Twins pitcher Steven Okert, second right, stands on the mound with teammates as pitching coach Pete Maki, right, approaches during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Dodgers, Monday, April 8, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

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  The Dodgers’ James Outman, left, celebrates his solo home run with third base coach Dino Ebel as he circles the bases during the seventh inning of their game against the Minnesota Twins on Monday night in Minneapolis. The Dodgers won, 4-2. (Photo by Matt Krohn/Getty Images)

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  Minnesota Twins relief pitcher Jay Jackson delivers a pitch against the Dodgers during the seventh inning at Target Field on April 8, 2024 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Matt Krohn/Getty Images)

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  Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani watches his solo home run during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Minnesota Twins, Monday, April 8, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

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  Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani, left, celebrates his solo home run with third base coach Dino Ebel as he circles the bases during the seventh inning of their game against the Minnesota Twins on Monday night in Minneapolis. The Dodgers won, 4-2. (Photo by Matt Krohn/Getty Images)

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  Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani, right, celebrates his solo home run with third base coach Dino Ebel as he circles the bases during the seventh inning of their game against the Minnesota Twins on Monday night in Minneapolis. The Dodgers won, 4-2. (Photo by Matt Krohn/Getty Images)

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  Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani runs the bases after hitting a solo home run during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Minnesota Twins, Monday, April 8, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

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  Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani is doused with sunflower seeds after hitting a solo home run during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Minnesota Twins, Monday, April 8, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

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  Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani is sprinkled with sunflower seeds after hitting a solo home run during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Minnesota Twins, Monday, April 8, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

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  Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani celebrates in the dugout after hitting a solo home run during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Minnesota Twins, Monday, April 8, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

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  Minnesota Twins relief pitcher Kody Funderburk delivers a pitch against the Dodgers during the ninth inning at Target Field on April 8, 2024 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Dodgers defeated the Twins 4-2. (Photo by Matt Krohn/Getty Images)

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  Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani reacts toward home plate umpire John Tumpane after being called out on strikes during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Minnesota TwinsMonday, April 8, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

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  Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani walks back to the dugout after striking out during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Minnesota Twins, Monday, April 8, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

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  Dodgers relief pitcher Evan Phillips delivers a pitch against the Minnesota Twins during the ninth inning at Target Field on April 8, 2024 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Dodgers defeat the Twins 4-2. (Photo by Matt Krohn/Getty Images)

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  The Minnesota Twins’ Carlos Correa breaks his bat as he hits into a ground out against the Dodgers during the ninth inning at Target Field on April 8, 2024 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Dodgers defeated the Twins 4-2. (Photo by Matt Krohn/Getty Images)

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  Dodgers relief pitcher Evan Phillips delivers during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Minnesota Twins, Monday, April 8, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

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  Dodgers relief pitcher Evan Phillips, left, and catcher Will Smith shake hands after the final out of a 4-2 victory over the Minnesota Twins on Monday in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

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  Dodgers infielders Mookie Betts, right, and Miguel Rojas celebrate the win against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field on April 8, 2024 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Dodgers defeated the Twins 4-2. (Photo by Matt Krohn/Getty Images)

MINNEAPOLIS — A large swath of the United States watched the sun disappear briefly on Monday. The Dodgers have barely seen the sun in four days.

Game time temperatures on this road trip to Chicago and Minnesota have stayed in the 40s with occasional rain adding to the chill. But the Dodgers should be able to warm themselves on the heat coming off of Shohei Ohtani’s bat.

Ohtani was 3 for 5 against the Twins on Monday – his fifth consecutive multi-hit game – and hit his third home run of the season as the Dodgers won, 4-2.

Starting Wednesday when he hit his first home run as a Dodger, Ohtani has gone 11 for 22 with multiple hits in each game and eight extra-base hits overall (four doubles, one triple and three home runs).

Monday’s home run was the 174th of Ohtani’s career, one short of the record for a Japanese-born player in MLB held by Hideki Matsui.

“I mean, it’s pretty awesome to watch,” said Dodgers starting pitcher James Paxton, who faced Ohtani with the Angels twice and gave up one home run. “If he puts the barrel on the ball it’s coming off at 105-plus. It’s pretty amazing just how hard he swings and how hard he hits the ball.

“I’m glad to have him on my side.”

At the opposite end of the temperature gauge was James Outman.

In his 25 at-bats before the seventh inning Monday night, Outman had managed just two hits while striking out 25 times. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts kept him out of the starting lineup against left-handed pitchers on Saturday and Sunday in Chicago, saying it would give Outman time to work on his swing.

There were no signs of progress as Outman struck out in his first two at-bats against the Twins. With the score tied at 2-2, though, Outman got a hanging full-count slider from Twins reliever Jay Jackson and sent a towering fly ball (the launch angle was an extreme 42 degrees) that floated into the right field seats for the go-ahead home run.

“It felt good to see a ball land,” Outman said. “It’s still pretty early in the season, so it feels a little early to freak out. But yeah, it’s a start in the right direction, for sure.”

During his rookie season last year, Outman endured similar cold spells. He said he learned an important lesson from the ups and downs.

“It’s never as bad as you think it is. And it’s never as good as you think it is. So just keep going and keep plugging along,” he said.

“I think experience is everything. You look at some of the guys in the clubhouse – Mookie or Freddie or Shohei – who have a lot of at-bats and a lot of experience, they’re just able to navigate the game better. There’s gonna be highs and lows, and they can adjust accordingly.”

If Monday’s go-ahead home run helps Outman escape a sticky wicket, cricket might have a surge in popularity among Dodgers hitters.

Ohtani said he started hitting off a tee using a bat with a flat barrel – a cricket bat – during the rain delay in Chicago on Sunday and it helped him with his mechanics.

“After I saw Shohei get two hits (Sunday), I was swinging the cricket bat,” Outman said Monday.

Three batters after Outman’s homer, Ohtani sent an opposite-field drive into the left field seats for his home run. He had carried most of the Dodgers’ offense to that point. His first-inning double sent Mookie Betts (who led off the game with a walk) to third base. Freddie Freeman drove him in from there with a sacrifice fly.

In the sixth inning, Ohtani led off with a double and scored on back-to-back singles by Freeman and Will Smith.

The seventh-inning power surge made a winner of Paxton for the second start in a row. Paxton went the first six innings, allowing a two-run home run to Manuel Margot (discarded by the Dodgers this spring after he was acquired from the Tampa Bay Rays as an attachment to the Tyler Glasnow trade).

“James was really good,” Roberts said. “It’s obviously a heavy right-handed lineup against the lefty. I thought his fastball really played tonight, had a lot of life. I thought the breaking ball, he used it when he needed to. Left one up to Margot, but outside of that he was fantastic.”

The Twins didn’t have a hit after Byron Buxton’s leadoff single in the fourth inning. Paxton, Ryan Brasier, Daniel Hudson and Evan Phillips combined to retire the final 18 Twins batters in order.

Ohtani goes deep for his third homer of the season. pic.twitter.com/H3qMWGOdBX

— SportsNet LA (@SportsNetLA) April 9, 2024

James utman with a go-ahead homer in the 7th! pic.twitter.com/1w0ZK8MbPQ

— SportsNet LA (@SportsNetLA) April 9, 2024

Dave Roberts talks about James Paxton's six innings of work, James Outman's homer and Ohtani's hot bat. pic.twitter.com/wrWXYLBs2L

— SportsNet LA (@SportsNetLA) April 9, 2024

He’s with a new team. He’s a married man. And, he doesn’t have Ippei Mizuhara at his side for the first time since Ohtani came to the United States.

Mizuhara was not only Ohtani’s interpreter from the time he signed with the Angels in 2018. He also became a close friend and right-hand man for six years. All that changed last month when Mizuhara’s gambling problem came to light. He was fired by the Dodgers amid accusations of stealing money from Ohtani to pay his gambling debts.

“It’s only been a couple weeks since then, and it’s not like I’ve been doing much aside from just being at the hotel and at home,” Ohtani said of Mizuhara’s absence from his life, this time with Will Ireton serving as interpreter. “I’m just really grateful, thankful, that the team and the personnel has supported me throughout the process.”

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said it might be helpful to no longer have Mizuhara acting as “a buffer” between Ohtani and his teammates and the coaching staff. He says the first weeks of the season have been a learning opportunity.

“I think each day we’re learning more (about Ohtani),” Roberts said “I think each day he’s becoming more comfortable. He’s laughing a ton. He’s asking questions.”

The biggest question still lingering around Ohtani is about the outcome of investigations by federal authorities as well as MLB into the situation with Mizuhara.

MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said on a New York radio show on Sunday that the investigation would be “relatively short” and praised Ohtani for his public statement regarding the situation given on March 25, calling it “really credible, really transparent.”

“But I think it’s incumbent upon us just to make sure that we can verify the story that’s there to give our fans absolute assurance about the integrity of the game,” Manfred said.

In the meantime, Ohtani plays on, seemingly unbothered by the investigations.

“Regardless of whatever happens off the field, my ability to be able to play baseball hasn’t changed,” he said Monday. “It is my job to make sure that I play to the best of my abilities.”

After a relatively slow start (a .242 batting average and no home runs in his first eight games), Ohtani has heated up. He hit his first home run as a Dodger at home on Wednesday and is on an 11-for-22 tear through Monday’s game with multiple hits in each of his past five games and eight extra-base hits overall (four doubles, one triple and three home runs). His opposite-field home run in Minnesota on Monday was the 174th of his career, one short of Hideki Matsui’s MLB record for a Japanese-born player.

“Just made several adjustments in the cage,” Ohtani said. “I just worked on some drills to improve my mechanics.”

One of those drills was hitting off a tee using a bat with a flat barrel like a cricket bat. Ohtani said he did that during the rain delay in Chicago on Sunday.

“We’ve got a bunch of toys in our toy bags and hitters bags,” assistant hitting coach Aaron Bates said. “I think he just picked it up and started using it. And then, yeah, he got some hits yesterday – so then it works, I guess.”

Bates said Ohtani might have tried the cricket bat before a game once (Ohtani rarely takes batting practice on the field before games) but it was during the rain delay Sunday that he got into it.

“Everyone was delirious at that point. When it’s a rain delay, kind of messing around and stuff,” Bates said. “And then I think all the guys started using it after he did. It’s just one of those things. It does a lot of good things too. But I think it’s more so just a light-hearted thing.”

BULLPEN ADD

The Dodgers officially added right-hander Connor Brogdon to the active roster Monday and sent right-hander Gus Varland back to Triple-A Oklahoma City.

Brogdon, 29, was acquired from the Philadelphia Phillies over the weekend in a trade for minor-league left-hander Benony Robles.

UP NEXT

Dodgers (RHP Tyler Glasnow, 2-0, 3.18 ERA) at Twins (RHP Louie Varland, 0-1, 6.75 ERA), Tuesday, 4:40 p.m. PT, SportsNet LA, 570 AM

Errors by Freddie Freeman and Mookie Betts led to four unearned runs and Gavin Stone lasted just three innings, sending the Dodgers into a nearly three-hour rain delay down by six runs. When play resumed, the Chicago Cubs completed the formalities of an 8-1 defeat of the Dodgers on Sunday afternoon at a sodden Wrigley Field.

“You just write that one off as a clunker,” Freeman said after the long soggy day. “We didn’t catch the ball for Gavin. Didn’t hit.

“Just a bad day.”

It wasn’t a great weekend as the Dodgers lost two of three in temperatures that never climbed out of the 40s, culminating with intermittent drizzle Sunday morning becoming a steady rain shortly after game time.

“I think today is one of those days you just want to wash (away),” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said.

Already down 5-0, things reached a breaking point in the bottom of the fourth inning after Dodgers reliever Gus Varland entered the game, gave up a leadoff double to Ian Happ and hit Seiya Suzuki with a pitch.

With most of the Dodgers standing in the rain, umpires waved the grounds crew onto the field. For several minutes, they spread the absorbent mix “Diamond Dry” all around the infield to try to soak up developing puddles. The rain, however, never slowed down so as soon as the grounds crew had treated one area and moved to another, puddles started reforming in the first area.

“I was chatting with the umpire at third base the whole time – because I’m playing in a puddle of water,” said Miguel Rojas, making his first start at third base since 2020. “I’m not saying that that’s why I made an error or anything like that. But you can see. Everybody can see it. That’s not the best conditions.”

When play resumed, Varland got two ground balls. One was handled by Freeman for an out but the next splashed its way to Rojas. He reached into his glove to find a baseball mixed with mud and water. His throw was in the dirt – actually, one of the handful of smaller puddles near first base – and Freeman was unable to scoop it.

A run scored on the play and the umpiring crew finally waved the grounds crew – and the tarp – onto the field.

As he left the field, Rojas – who slipped and fell running out of the batter’s box on his third-inning at-bat – confronted the umpiring crew led by Laz Diaz, clearly voicing his displeasure over their handling of the situation.

“We all understand. We’ve been playing the game of baseball a long time and we understand the business side of it,” Rojas said. “We’re trying to get a game in, because we’re getting out of here and we’re not playing another game here in Chicago. But obviously the conditions on the field were improper to play a game (on) after I think the third inning.

“No excuses. They played better baseball than us today. But I feel like sometimes you’ve got to understand a little bit more the conditions of the field or whatever.”

The Cubs did indeed outplay the Dodgers on defense. Second baseman Nico Hoerner, in particular, stood out with defensive gems in two of the three games.

“I think their defense was the difference,” Roberts said. “They played very good defense. And there were some plays we just didn’t make. But honestly, I don’t think we pitched well out of the gate.”

Stone did not and the first four runs the Dodgers gave up were less weather-related.

Freeman’s misplay helped the Cubs load the bases with two outs in the first inning and Stone gave up a three-run double to Michael Busch. In the second inning, a walk and a single set up a sacrifice fly – the Cubs’ only earned run off Stone.

In the third, Betts couldn’t come up with a two-out ground ball to his right. A wild pitch and a double by Mike Tauchman turned that into another unearned run.

“I thought Gavin had the stuff early, but I thought he was a little too fine – three walks in three innings, certainly not ideal,” Roberts said.

“To some of those hitters early on, I thought he had a couple of hitters to wipe out and put away, and there was a late walk, a 1-2 to 4-2 walk, and I think getting behind with the fastball off the plate, some a little bit down. There were certainly some good throws in there, but I think for him, when he’s filling up the zone, working quickly, he’s at his best.”

Meanwhile, the Dodgers managed just two singles in four innings against Cubs left-hander Shota Imanaga.

When play resumed after a two-hour, 51-minute rain delay, Imanaga did not return. But the Dodgers managed only two more hits in five innings – both by Shohei Ohtani – against a conga line of Cubs relievers. Ohtani tripled to the wall in center field with two outs in the sixth then drove in the Dodgers’ only run of the day with a two-out double in the eighth.

“Offensively, there wasn’t a whole lot to talk about,” Roberts said. “It was good to see Shohei swing the bat well. And like I said – it’s one of those games you just want to wash.”

Outman hasn’t started the past three times the Dodgers faced a left-handed pitcher – Kyle Harrison of the Giants on Wednesday, Jordan Wicks and Shota Imanaga of the Cubs on Saturday and Sunday.

It’s still not a platoon, Roberts said Sunday. Outman’s down time has more to do with his .129 average through nine games.

“No, it’s not,” Roberts said. “I just think James has to get untracked offensively. So for me, talking to the hitting guys, allowing him to have a couple days’ work and then he’ll be in there all three days against Minnesota. But my plan is definitely not to platoon him. Right now, I do want him to get that swing kind of a little more dialed in.”

Outman’s slow start – which features 12 strikeouts in 31 at-bats – looks “very similar” to the deep slumps he fell into at times during his rookie season last year, Roberts acknowledged.

“I think he’s just in between,” Roberts said. “When you’re chasing in, away, up, down, hard, soft, I think that you’re in between. I think getting the mechanics, getting the head clear and just attacking his strengths, he’ll be back where we expect him to be.

“Right now, it’s kind of where he was at in the middle of last season. Hopefully we can get him back to squaring the baseball up and swinging at balls in the strike zone.”

Some players tend to be streaky at the plate, Roberts said. “But I just don’t want to concede the valleys (with Outman), if we can get the valleys to be not as deep.”

PITCHING PLANS

The Dodgers will start James Paxton, Tyler Glasnow and Bobby Miller in the three-game series against the Minnesota Twins starting Monday.

Miller’s start Wednesday will come on only four days’ rest, making him the first Dodgers starter this season to take the mound on “normal” rest.

The Dodgers might have gone with a bullpen game Wednesday, as they did at home Tuesday, and pushed Miller back to Friday. But he threw just 58 pitches in 1⅔ innings in Friday’s loss in Chicago.

“We try to leave things open,” Roberts said. “But just kind of the way it played out, it just made a lot of sense just to kind of go with Bobby on regular (rest). Fortunately or unfortunately, we didn’t have to have that conversation (about a bullpen game).”

Yoshinobu Yamamoto will open the homestand Friday against the San Diego Padres.

BUEHLER’S DAY

Right-hander Walker Buehler made his second rehab start with Triple-A Oklahoma City on Saturday and was sharper than in his first outing.

Buehler retired the first nine batters he faced and 14 of 16 overall in 4⅔ innings, allowing two hits, walking none and striking out six. Buehler threw 65 pitches (42 for strikes) with his fastball velocity steadily registering 94 mph with a high of 95.0 mph.

He is expected to make at least one more rehab start before joining the Dodgers’ starting rotation. His next rehab start could be with Class-A Rancho Cucamonga.

ALSO

Right-hander Connor Brogdon is expected to join the Dodgers on Monday in Minnesota. Brogdon was acquired from the Philadelphia Phillies in exchange for minor-league left-hander Benony Robles. The Dodgers will have to make a roster move in order to add Brogdon to the active roster.

UP NEXT

Dodgers (LHP James Paxton, 1-0, 0.00 ERA) at Twins (RHP Bailey Ober, 0-1, 54.00 ERA), Monday, 4:40 p.m. PT, SportsNet LA, 570 AM

• 

  Los Angeles Dodgers’ Austin Barnes (15) celebrates with teammate Enrique Hernandez (8) after scoring on a wild pitch by Chicago Cubs relief pitcher Jose Cuas during the fifth inning of a baseball game, Saturday, April 6, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)

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  Los Angeles Dodgers center fielder Enrique Hernandez (8) misses a fly ball hit by Chicago Cubs’ Ian Happ during the first inning of an baseball game Saturday, April 6, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)

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  Chicago Cubs’ Seiya Suzuki, right, slides into second as Los Angeles Dodgers second baseman Mookie Betts (50) attempts to apply a tag during the first inning of a baseball game Saturday, April 6, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)

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  Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Jordan Wicks leaves the dugout after being pulled in the fifth inning of baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Saturday, April 6, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)

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  Los Angeles Dodgers closing pitcher Evan Phillips (59) celebrates with Mookie Betts (50) after they defeated the Chicago Cubs 4-1 in a baseball game, Saturday, April 6, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)

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  Los Angeles Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani (17) watches his single during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs, Saturday, April 6, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)

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  Chicago Cubs’ Seiya Suzuki, right, signals that he is safe after sliding safely into second base as Los Angeles Dodgers second baseman Mookie Betts (50) looks for the call during the first inning of a baseball game Saturday, April 6, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)

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  Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto stands on the mound during the second inning of the team’s baseball game against the Chicago Cubs on Saturday, April 6, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)

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  Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto stands on the mound during the second inning of the team’s baseball game against the Chicago Cubs, Saturday, April 6, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)

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  Los Angeles Dodgers starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto throws during the first inning of the team’s baseball game against the Chicago Cubs on Saturday, April 6, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)

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  Los Angeles Dodgers starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto center, stands on the mound during a meeting in the first inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs, Saturday, April 6, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)

CHICAGO — Yoshinobu Yamamoto might have been ready for the move to the United States after all – he just needed to get here.

Putting his unsettling Seoul Series debut further in the rear-view mirror, Yamamoto held the Chicago Cubs scoreless for the first five innings to earn his first major-league win in a 4-1 victory Saturday afternoon at Wrigley Field.

Since lasting just one inning and allowing five runs in his big-league debut during the two-game series in South Korea, Yamamoto has not allowed a run. In two starts since that rocky showing against the Padres, he has thrown 10 scoreless innings with five hits allowed, two walks and 13 strikeouts.

“Especially his last spring outing, the first game in Korea, I don’t think that’s who he is,” Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy said. “And the way he has acted and gone about his business, you can tell that’s not who he is. So the last couple starts have been really fun to watch. I think we can expect more of that.”

Yamamoto certainly expects more of himself. A three-time Sawamura Award winner in Japan (their equivalent of the Cy Young Award), the poor start in South Korea didn’t have him doubting himself.

“I didn’t really think about it,” he said through his interpreter. “The season is long. We have a long way to go. I just took it one game at a time and I focused on one game at a time.”

He had to focus on one hitter at a time to survive two stressful innings to start his day against the Cubs.

Yamamoto gave up a leadoff double to Ian Happ in the first then loaded the bases with no outs when he walked Seiya Suzuki and Cody Bellinger reached on an infield single when shortstop Miguel Rojas charged his chopped grounder but flipped too late to second base.

“I think he just didn’t want a repeat of Seoul,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “You could see it.”

Yamamoto never got back on track in that first start. This time, he fought back to strike out the next three batters, getting Dansby Swanson and Michael Busch on called third strikes.

“When you’re bases loaded nobody out — that could have been the game,” “Roberts said.

“I was just trying to get a strike,” Yamamoto said. “The one thing I was trying to avoid was a walk. That’s not the way I wanted to allow a run.”

In the second, the Cubs loaded the bases again, this time with two outs. Yan Gomes doubled over Kiké Hernandez’s head in center field. Yamamoto walked Happ and Suzuki reached on an error by third baseman Max Muncy.

Yamamoto froze Bellinger with a curveball for another called third strike to end that threat.

“At the beginning I was struggling a little bit, but that was because I was falling behind in the count,” Yamamoto said. “But after that, I got to bounce back and then in the fourth and fifth inning I thought I was great.”

He was. Bellinger was the first of 10 consecutive batters retired by Yamamoto to end his day after five innings with three hits allowed and eight strikeouts. A beer shower awaited in the post-game clubhouse to celebrate his first major-league win after Ryan Brasier, Joe Kelly and Daniel Hudson carried the shutout into the ninth inning. Evan Phillips gave up the Cubs’ only run.

“I think Yoshi’s awesome,” said Austin Barnes who caught Yamamoto for the first time Saturday. “I think he’s going to be fine. Obviously he pitched great against the Cardinals, pitched really good today. When he gets his feet under him, I think he’ll be one of the best pitchers in this game.”

The Dodgers had their own difficulties scoring early against Cubs lefty Jordan Wicks. They put the leadoff man on base in three of the first four innings but stranded five baserunners in that time, including Muncy after a leadoff double in the fourth. After going three for 16 with runners in scoring position in Friday’s loss, they started 0 for 8 in those situations Saturday.

But they finally broke through in the fifth inning.

Barnes led off with a single. Shohei Ohtani singled with one out and Cubs manager Craig Counsell pulled Wicks after he struck out Freddie Freeman. His reliever of choice, Jose Cuas, walked Teoscar Hernandez to load the bases, then threw a run-scoring wild pitch and gave up a two-run single to Muncy.

The Dodgers added an unearned run in the eighth inning but came up short of five runs for the first time this season, ending their franchise-record streak at 10 games to start the season.

“Honestly, I feel fine. I’ve had some bad luck – like yesterday, prime example,” Lux said, referring to an outstanding defensive play by Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner who robbed him of a hit during Friday’s game. “I’ve had some unfortunate calls where I feel like I’m getting buried in the count a little bit.

“But honestly, 30 at-bats in, I didn’t expect to hit .500 and everything. But I feel like the actual quality of the at-bats has been fine. I’ve been seeing the ball good. I don’t feel sped up. So I feel like overall it’s good. And I’ve kind of always been a slow starter anyways, so I’ll just keep building on it, try to build momentum and go from there.”

After missing an entire season following his devastating knee injury in spring 2023, a slow start probably shouldn’t be surprising. But Dodgers manager Dave Roberts wouldn’t say he expected this. He’s just trying to “kind of understand that baseball is hard” – particularly when you haven’t faced big-league pitchers in a year.

“Gavin is fine. I still appreciate that it’s been a whole year since he has played baseball, Major League Baseball,” Roberts said. “My message to Gavin is, I want you to control the strike zone like you do well, and use the big part of the field. Everything else will take care of itself.”

Lux said his knee feels fine though his body is still adjusting to “playing nine innings and the travel and everything again.”

But Lux has noticed one change in his swing.

“Some days I look at video and I say, ‘Man, I’m a lot taller and stiff-legged on my landing than I used to be.’” said Lux, whose lead leg in his swing, his right, is the one he injured last spring. “

“Right now, I’m kind of reaching with my front leg and landing stiff and upright. Usually when I’m good, I’m landing and I’m in more of almost a basketball, guarding position. I’ve been working on that the last few days. It’s something I’ve got to stay on top of. I probably should have noticed that sooner.”

That he has adjustments to make early in his comeback season is just part of returning to play, Lux acknowledged.

“Obviously I wish my first 30 at-bats I got 10 hits. But like I said, I didn’t expect there to be no hiccups at all or to feel good every single day,” he said. “Facing big-league pitching is already tough as (expletive). Just getting back into it, I think we’ll build some momentum.”

MAKING MOVES

The Dodgers made a series of moves Saturday aimed at shoring up their bullpen depth.

They acquired right-hander Connor Brogdon from the Philadelphia Phillies in exchange for minor-league left-hander Benony Robles.

Brogdon, 29, had a 3.88 ERA in parts of five seasons with the Phillies. He started this season by giving up seven runs on three hits (two home runs) and six walks in just two innings and was designated for assignment by the Phillies earlier this week.

Brogdon is out of minor-league options and is expected to join the Dodgers in the next day or two.

Also, right-hander Gus Varland was recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City. Varland retired the only batter he faced during one of the games in Seoul then joined OKC, where he was 1-0 with a 4.91 ERA in three appearances.

To make room for Varland, the Dodgers designated right-hander Dinelson Lamet for assignment. Lamet made three appearances for the Dodgers and earned his first career save earlier this week.

UP NEXT

Dodgers (RHP Gavin Stone, 0-0, 5.40 ERA) at Cubs (LHP Shota Imanaga, 1-0, 0.00 ERA), Sunday, 11:20 a.m. PT, SportsNet LA, 570 AM

Shohei Ohtani’s first home run as a Dodger in Wednesday’s game against the San Francisco Giants at Dodger Stadium set off a brief controversy over how the Dodgers retrieved the souvenir ball for Ohtani.

His second home run as a Dodger in the fifth inning on Friday afternoon landed in the Budweiser porch just below the scoreboard down the right field line – and came right back, tossed onto the field as is the tradition with home runs by opposing players at Wrigley Field.

“It’s pretty impressive for him to be able to ride that ball out down below the zone,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said of the first-pitch changeup from Kyle Hendricks. “(Cody) Bellinger does that really well too. So guys that can hit the fastball and something that’s offspeed, to sill ride it out and elevate it, it’s hard to do. It takes a special athlete.”

Ohtani’s special qualities are well-established but it took time for him to get his first home runs as a Dodger – something that he acknowledged had given him some anxiety. Roberts said he could “absolutely” see the relief in Ohtani’s eyes when he homered Wednesday.

If relief can be measured in exit velocity, it was evident Friday. Four of the five balls Ohtani put in play against the Cubs left his bat at 99 mph or higher – a double (106.1), his home run (105.2) and two fly outs (110.2 and 99.2).

“He’s on the fastball, breaking balls, he’s taking balls down below the zone, which early on he was swinging at those,” Roberts said. “I think right now the timing, his mechanics, (he’s) seeing the baseball really well.”

The result could be another first for Ohtani in Dodger blue – a hot streak.

“I think so. I really do,” Roberts said. “Early on, he wasn’t synced up with his swing and mechanics and timing. … If he’s right, obviously we know how special he is. And today, another homer, a double and then just missed another homer. So I do think that hot streak is on the come.”

HEYWARD’S BACK

Despite going on the injured list with a back strain, Jason Heyward made the trip to Chicago with the team and visited the Jason Heyward Baseball Academy on Friday. Heyward took some teammates to visit the community center-type facility he established while playing for the Cubs.

“Every time I go around that place, it’s nothing but good vibes,” he said.

Heyward said his back is recovering “nicely” though he doesn’t know when he will be ready to play again.

The problem started during the Freeway Series game in Anaheim, when the Dodgers had a long stretch between the end of their hitters’ meeting and the start of batting practice.

“So we were just sitting down for that whole time. I think that down time combined with the travel we’d been doing, the time zones, I didn’t play the day before … it stiffened up,” Heyward said. “That’s how strains go. I was able to play, start Opening Day and whatnot. I feel like the start against Lance (Lynn) with St. Louis I was starting to feel a lot better that night then being down against a lefty the next day it stiffened up. That’s when I was, okay, part of my role is to be a bench guy, come off the bench at the right moment. I need to be healthy enough to do that. Let’s take the time to get it right.”

TOKYO TIME

Japanese baseball commissioner Sadayuki Sakakibara said this week that Major League Baseball has agreed to play two games in Tokyo next March 19 and 20. Sakakibara said he met with MLB commissioner Rob Manfred during the Seoul Series in South Korea featuring the Dodgers and San Diego Padres.

No teams have been announced as participants, but the Dodgers – featuring two-way star Ohtani and pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto – are expected to be one of the two. The Chicago Cubs – also featuring a pair of Japanese players, Seiya Suzuki and Shota Imanaga – are a good bet to join them.

ALSO

Right-hander Walker Buehler is scheduled to make his second start for Triple-A Oklahoma City on Saturday. He threw 56 pitches in 3⅔ innings in his first start and is expected to throw about 65 to 70 pitches Saturday. …

Right-hander Nabil Crismatt cleared waivers and was assigned to OKC. Crismatt was designated for assignment earlier this week.

UP NEXT

Dodgers (RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto, 0-1, 7.50 ERA) at Cubs (LHP Jordan Wicks, 0-0, 4.50 ERA), Saturday, 1:05 p.m. PT, SportsNet LA, Fox Sports 1, 570 AM

Shohei Ohtani homers in back-to-back games! pic.twitter.com/EfOHJJiQsp

— SportsNet LA (@SportsNetLA) April 5, 2024