The Midsummer Classic is almost here. The 2025 All-Star game will be the 95th edition that will bring together top players from all around the American League and National League. Now, as exciting as it gets, the Los Angeles Dodgers have been quietly making last-minute lineup moves that are eventually impacting the All-Star selection process.
MLB rules say that if a pitcher starts for his team a day before the All-Star Game, he is not eligible to pitch in the All-Star Game. And according to MLB insider Bill Plunkett, Yoshinobu Yamamoto is scheduled to start for the Dodgers as they go against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park on Sunday.
As a result, Yamamoto might not be a part of the NL team’s pitching staff this time. For the record, it was supposed to be the Japanese phenom’s first time in his MLB career to be picked for the All-Star game. But when he used to play for NPB, he was chosen multiple times for the All-Star.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto is lined up to start for #Dodgers on Sunday in SF. This would make him ineligible to pitch in All-Star Game.
— Bill Plunkett (@billplunkettocr) July 7, 2025
Just a week ago, Roberts admitted, “So absolutely he’s [Yamamoto] one of the top whatever pitchers that need to be on an All-Star roster. For sure.” Despite that, it’s odd enough that the team decided to line him up for Sunday’s game.
Plunkett also revealed the Dodgers’ final starting rotation against the Giants. “Rotation for SF will be Dustin May-Emmet Sheehan-Yamamoto.” This will be the rotation for the final three consecutive games before the All-Star break.
Many even expected Shohei Ohtani in the starting rotation. Well, there is a possibility that the Dodgers will add Ohtani later. If they do so, then it’s highly likely that Sheehan will be the one who will get replaced.
But as of now, in the post-game (Dodgers-Brewers) interview, when SportsNet LA asked the Dodgers skipper about Yamamoto’s pitching on Sunday, Roberts confirmed, “Yeah, he’s gonna pitch on Sunday.”
On the brighter side, though, we’ve got Clayton Kershaw on the NL roster. This 95th edition happens to be his 11th participation in the event. Now, these last-minute changeups don’t just affect the Dodgers, but they also influence the All-Star Game’s overall selections. Still, why exactly did the Dodgers do so?
Dodgers battling injuries once again
Throughout the 2025 season, the Dodgers have been bitten brutally by the injury bugs. Even now, as of today, they have 12 pitchers on the injured list. So far, they have navigated through this by rotating bullpen games. They have time and again called up players from the minor league, but now the injury bug has bitten their core—the position players.
Recently, the Dodgers lost Max Muncy for nearly six weeks. After Muncy collided at third base last week, he hurt his left knee. Just as this happened, the team speculated that it was a ligament tear. Well, the Dodgers were relieved later when the X-rays didn’t display any major damage. It was just a bone bruise.
Still, with his six-week absence, what will the Dodgers do to navigate through?
To fill in the gap, the Dodgers have Miguel Rojas, Tommy Edman, and Enrique Hernández as potential options. But let’s not forget that Hernández himself is fighting elbow soreness. His swing has been getting affected for a while now. So, he might not be a reliable option. Against the Astros this weekend, his pain even worsened. The only option suited for him now might be to take a stint on the injured list.
Then there’s Tommy Edman. He was supposed to take over the third and now has a fracture in his pinky toe. So, again, the Dodgers can’t rely on him.
All of these combined setbacks have affected the Dodgers this weekend against the Astros. They were handed three straight losses. And now, it’s four, with their 9-1 loss in the series opener against the Brewers. So, risking any more of their players wouldn’t be a smart move. That’s probably why Yamamoto’s presence in the coming Sunday’s game is more necessary than in the All-Star Game.
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