LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto left his start Saturday night against Kansas City after two innings due to triceps tightness.

The Japanese right-hander had his scheduled start on Thursday against Texas pushed back for extra rest. He threw two-hit ball in seven innings at the New York Yankees on June 7. Yamamoto tossed 106 pitches in that game and had thrown over 100 in four consecutive starts until Saturday night.

Yamamoto threw only 14 strikes on 28 pitches against the Royals. He allowed one hit and one walk with one strikeout.

This is Yamamoto’s first year in the majors after he signed a record $325 million, 12-year contract with the Dodgers in December. He is 6-2 with a 2.92 ERA.

Michael Grove replaced Yamamoto in the third inning.

Yamamoto said through his interpreter that he let the coaches know during the game and they decided to pull him.

“After that second inning, he just felt that he could go out there, but it just wasn’t coming out and his triceps was tight, and so that’s when we pulled the plug,” manager Dave Roberts said.

As for the rest of the game, MJ Melendez hit a grand slam to conclude a 12-pitch at-bat, Seth Lugo became the AL’s first 10-game winner and the Royals beat the Dodgers 7-2.

According to Baseball Reference, it is only the second time since 1970 there has been a grand slam on a full count with at least 12 pitches in the at-bat. In 2018, Mookie Betts cleared the bases for Boston on the 13th pitch against Toronto’s J.A. Happ.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto, a promising young pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers, was forced to exit a recent game against the Kansas City Royals due to triceps tightness. The injury occurred during the fourth inning of the game, when Yamamoto signaled to the team’s trainers that he was experiencing discomfort in his throwing arm.

Triceps tightness can be a common issue for pitchers, as the triceps muscle is heavily involved in the throwing motion. When this muscle becomes tight or strained, it can greatly impact a pitcher’s ability to throw with accuracy and velocity. In Yamamoto’s case, it was clear that he was not able to continue pitching effectively, prompting the decision to remove him from the game.

While triceps tightness is often a minor issue that can be addressed with rest and rehabilitation, it is still concerning for the Dodgers and their fans. Yamamoto has shown great potential as a pitcher, and any injury that hinders his performance could have a significant impact on the team’s success.

The Dodgers will likely monitor Yamamoto closely in the coming days to determine the severity of his injury and develop a treatment plan. In the meantime, they may need to rely on other pitchers in their rotation to step up and fill the void left by Yamamoto’s absence.

Overall, injuries are an unfortunate but inevitable part of professional sports, and it is important for teams to have depth and resilience to overcome these challenges. Hopefully, Yoshinobu Yamamoto will be able to recover quickly and return to the mound stronger than ever.