Tokyo Series preview: Everything you need to know before the Dodgers and Cubs begin the 2025 MLB season in Japan
Last year, the Padres and Dodgers got the MLB regular season started early with two games in South Korea. This year, it’s the Cubs and Dodgers kicking things off the week before league-wide Opening Day.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, with the first pitch of each game scheduled for 6:10 a.m. ET, the 2025 season begins at the Tokyo Dome. This matchup features a boatload of Japanese stars and is sure to deliver an electric atmosphere.
Here’s everything you need to know about the Tokyo Series.
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Why is MLB doing this?
It’s no secret that Major League Baseball wants to have a global reach, which is understandable considering the many countries represented in the league. After playing regular-season MLB series in Puerto Rico, Mexico, England, the Dominican Republic and South Korea, the next and biggest frontier in baseball was Japan.
There’s as much Japanese star power in Major League Baseball today as there has ever been in league history. That’s not to mention that the best player in the sport, Shohei Ohtani, not only hails from Japan but also has become a global superstar. And while Ohtani’s fame has reached international levels, the other Japanese stars who will appear in the series — including Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Roki Sasaki, Shota Imanaga and Seiya Suzuki — represent some of the best talent to come out of Japan in recent years.
For all intents and purposes, these two matchups are spring training games that happen to count. In some ways, it might seem like much ado about nothing, given that Chicago’s and Los Angeles’ rosters might look significantly different two weeks from now. But the importance of showcasing baseball on an international scale is paramount.
Who will be pitching in Tokyo?
The Dodgers will be showcasing two of their Japanese imports during this series, with Yamamoto starting in Game 1 and Sasaki taking the ball for his MLB debut in Game 2. On the other side, the Cubs will have their two best arms on the bump, with Imanaga going in Game 1 and southpaw Justin Steele getting the start for Game 2.
Not pitching, of course, is Shohei Ohtani, who is still rehabbing from elbow and shoulder surgeries. Ohtani was previously expected to be back on the mound come May, but a recent pause to his rehab has put that timeline in doubt.
Who are the new faces on these teams?
While Roki Sasaki gets a lot of the attention as the Dodgers’ biggest acquisition of the past offseason — and for good reason — it’s easy to forget that L.A. also added two-time Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell to the top of its rotation, providing a true ace. And as you might’ve heard, the Dodgers also went several steps further, reinforcing the back of the bullpen with the additions of reliever Kirby Yates and closer Tanner Scott and boosting the lineup by signing outfielder Michael Conforto and second baseman Hyeseong Kim.
For the Cubs, the most notable new face on the roster happens to be the team’s best player in Kyle Tucker, who was acquired over the winter from the Houston Astros. Tucker, who will be penciled in as the team’s right fielder, is entering a contract year, which should make for a storyline to watch all season. Other new faces on Chicago’s roster include infielder Justin Turner, closer Ryan Pressly, left-hander Matthew Boyd and top prospect Matt Shaw, who is expected to make his MLB debut in Tokyo and be the team’s every-day third baseman.
Who will we not see in Tokyo?
Missing for the Cubs during the Tokyo Series will be second baseman Nico Hoerner, who is still recovering from offseason flexor tendon surgery, and right-hander Javier Assad, who suffered a mild oblique strain in February. While Hoerner expects to be ready for domestic Opening Day, Assad is likely to start the season on the injured list.
Two pitchers who will not be on the Dodgers’ roster are left-hander Clayton Kershaw and right-hander Tony Gonsolin. Kershaw isn’t expected to return from offseason surgery until June or July, and Gonsolin was in a spring training battle with Dustin May for the team’s fifth starter spot until he sustained a back injury while lifting weights at the team facility.
Of more consequence for the Dodgers could be Mookie Betts’ status. The superstar, who is making the transition to every-day shortstop this spring, won’t play in the team’s exhibition games over the weekend due to flu-like symptoms. Manager Dave Roberts told reporters on Saturday that he still hopes Betts will be ready to go Tuesday.
What’s the latest on Shohei Ohtani?
The biggest star during the Tokyo Series also happens to be the world’s best baseball player. Ohtani had a delayed start to the spring due to his recovery from labrum surgery after he dislocated his shoulder during the World Series. Throughout the winter, he was also continuing his rehab from 2023 elbow surgery.
While he appears to be right back in the swing of things at the plate — he homered in the team’s first exhibition game on Saturday, because of course he did — the Dodgers have slowed down the three-time MVP’s ramp-up as a pitcher. Prior to the labrum surgery, Ohtani was projected to be ready for Opening Day 2025. Over the winter, the thought was that he could return to the mound in May, but now that timeline seems likely to be pushed back.
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