Yoshinobu Yamamoto rehab start was cautious positive first step for Dodgers

The Dodgers have reinforcements on the way, and at just the moment when they're needed the most. Thankfully, they've enjoyed returns of every position player who was on the IL in July and August, Brusdar Graterol is the last reliever left to return, and Tyler Glasnow and Yoshinobu Yamamoto are both on their way, though Glasnow's progress has been held up.

LA is on a roll as of late, having won nine games out of their last 14, and they have the lowest strength of schedule of any division leader in baseball through what's left of the season. They still have a little bit of reason to worry about the Diamondbacks and Padres, but otherwise they just need to refine some things to get to full power for the postseason.

Yamamoto is currently undergoing a rehab assignment in Triple-A, and his steady progress from triceps tightness has been a nice surprise. When he was moved to the 60-day IL in mid-July, fans were concerned that he might not be back for the rest of the season. However, he should now only need a few minor league starts before he gets back to the majors.

On Wednesday night, as the Dodgers were taking a win from the Orioles on Shohei Ohtani bobblehead night, Yamamoto pitched two innings for Oklahoma City. He gave up one hit, a homer, but otherwise kept every Express batter he faced off of the base paths and struck out two.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto struck out two in his first Triple-A appearance as he returns to Dodgers

The homer might've been a little worrisome, but Yamamoto hasn't had much of a home run problem in the majors, so it shouldn't be too much of a concern as he works off the rust.

However, the fastball that Round Rock prospect Blaine Crim hit was basically at the center of the zone, so maybe Yamamoto hasn't totally shaken off his slightly worrying penchant for throwing heaters straight down the heart of the plate.

Before he got hurt, Yamamoto made 14 starts, seven of them quality starts, for a 2.92 ERA. His performance improved drastically after a horrific debut in Seoul, and although he'll never shake off the "overpaid" or "overrated" labels from opposing fans, he's clearly been one of the most improved pitchers in the league this season.

Getting Yamamoto back will almost certainly mean that Bobby Miller will be demoted again. Miller looked marginally better in his Aug. 23 start, pitching six innings and giving up three runs, but Yamamoto will be a marked improvement when he returns. His stay in the minors should be short, which will be able to get him two or three more regular season starts before he's asked to perform in his first MLB postseason.