Dodgers flip starters, tab Yoshinobu Yamamoto for Game 1 of NLDS

LOS ANGELES -- The Los Angeles Dodgers are flipping Jack Flaherty and rookie Yoshinobu Yamamoto in their rotation for the National League Division Series against the rival San Diego Padres.

Yamamoto will start Game 1 on Saturday and Flaherty will go in Game 2 on Sunday at Dodger Stadium. The changes were made so Yamamoto can be available for a potential Game 5 on an extra day of rest as he has had for every outing this season.

"It's just about having more options," Andrew Friedman, president of baseball operations, said Thursday. "It just creates flexibility for things that we can't possibly know right now, which is how is our pitching used in Games 1 through 4 and just having as many options as we can."

He said both pitchers were great about the decision once the logic was explained.

The NLDS pits the Dodgers against the Padres for the third time in five years. The Padres won 3-1 in 2022, and the Dodgers won 3-0 in 2020 on their way to winning the World Series in the pandemic-shortened season.

"It's felt like it's been on a collision course," Friedman said. "They're a good team. We know it'll be really good baseball."

Friedman likens the matchup to a game of chess since the division rivals know each other so well. The Padres were 8-5 against the Dodgers in the regular season, with the NL West title going down to the wire.

"Do you keep sticking to the strengths? Do you switch things up? How are they going to approach it?" he said. "If you've done something specific to a certain guy through those regular-season matchups, do you stick with it? Do you deviate? I think that's on a case-by-case basis."

Owning the best record in baseball gave the Dodgers a bye this week. They spent Thursday using a high-velocity pitching machine for batting practice, working on fundamentals and playing a simulated game while the deciding Game 3 of the NL Wild Card Series between the Mets and Brewers played on the stadium's videoboards.

Shohei Ohtani grounded out to second leading off the sim game against Tony Gonsolin. Freddie Freeman popped out to foul territory in left in the eerily quiet stadium.

A few of the players had organized watch parties during the NLWC, which the Padres swept in two games over the Atlanta Braves.

The extra time off has proven valuable for injured players such as Freeman and shortstop Miguel Rojas.

Freeman sprained his right ankle after landing awkwardly while running to first during the team's NL West-clinching game against the Padres last week. Manager Dave Roberts said he was confident Freeman would be in the lineup for Game 1, although he acknowledged the All-Star first baseman's mobility could be compromised on defense.

Freeman also took swings in the batting cage Thursday and was progressing daily. He also jammed his middle finger on his right hand in late August.

"It's hard because anytime you talk to him about it, he's like, 'I'm good. I'll be good,'" Friedman said.

Rojas has a tear in his left adductor muscle, an injury he has been playing with for a couple of weeks.

"Miggy looks real good," Friedman said. "The time [off] has really helped him."

Friedman confirmed Ohtani would continue his throwing program as he rehabs from a second elbow surgery he had a year ago. The Japanese superstar won't progress to live batting practice.

Not pitching this season allowed Ohtani to focus on his offense and the results were record-breaking. He became the first player in major league history with 50 homers and 50 stolen bases in a season.