Yamamoto to debut in Dodger spring training game

Star pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto is set to make his Dodger spring training debut Wednesday in Arizona.

The 25-year-old Japanese right-hander is slated to pitch two innings against the Texas Rangers, last season’s World Series victors.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said last week the team hopes to have Yamamoto and Tyler Glasnow start the two regular-season games in South Korea against the San Diego Padres on March 20-21.

According to published reports, the Dodgers signed Yamamoto to a 12-year, $325 million contract Dec. 27 that now stands as the most lucrative deal in Major League Baseball history. The Dodgers also paid a $50.6 million posting fee to the the Orix Buffaloes, Yamamoto’s former team.

For the last three seasons, Yamamoto was the MVP of Japan’s Pacific League and won of the league’s award for its best starting pitcher.

The game from Surprise Stadium is scheduled to begin at 12:05 p.m. Pacific Time and will be televised by SportsNet LA. A radio broadcast of the game is on Am 570, and the game is also available via video streaming on MLB.tv and audio streaming on MLB.com.