Last year, the MLB regular season kicked off early with two games in South Korea featuring the Padres and Dodgers. This year, the Cubs and Dodgers are starting things off the week before league-wide Opening Day at the Tokyo Dome. The 2025 season will begin on Tuesday and Wednesday with games scheduled to start at 6:10 a.m. ET, showcasing a lineup of Japanese stars and promising an electric atmosphere.
Major League Baseball has a goal of expanding its global reach, evident in its decision to hold regular-season series in various countries. With Japan being the next frontier, the Tokyo Series aims to highlight the significant Japanese star power in the league today. Players like Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Roki Sasaki, Shota Imanaga, and Seiya Suzuki represent some of the best talent from Japan. These matchups may seem like spring training games, but they hold importance in showcasing baseball on an international scale.
The Dodgers will feature their Japanese imports Yamamoto and Sasaki on the mound, while the Cubs will have Imanaga and Justin Steele as their starting pitchers. Notably absent will be Shohei Ohtani, who is still recovering from elbow and shoulder surgeries, delaying his return to pitching until possibly May.
New faces on the teams include Roki Sasaki for the Dodgers and Kyle Tucker for the Cubs. The Dodgers have also added Blake Snell, Kirby Yates, Tanner Scott, Michael Conforto, and Hyeseong Kim to bolster their roster. On the other hand, the Cubs have acquired players like Justin Turner, Ryan Pressly, Matthew Boyd, and top prospect Matt Shaw.
Unfortunately, injuries will sideline players like Nico Hoerner and Javier Assad for the Cubs, while Clayton Kershaw and Tony Gonsolin will not be pitching for the Dodgers. Mookie Betts’ availability for the Tokyo Series is uncertain due to flu-like symptoms, but the team remains hopeful he will be ready to play.
The spotlight during the Tokyo Series will undoubtedly be on Shohei Ohtani, the world’s best baseball player, who is still recovering from labrum surgery.
During the winter months, he continued his rehabilitation from elbow surgery in 2023.
While he seems to be back in form at the plate – hitting a home run in the team’s first exhibition game on Saturday – the Dodgers have slowed down the progress of the three-time MVP as a pitcher. Originally expected to be ready for Opening Day 2025 after labrum surgery, the plan was for Ohtani to return to pitching in May. However, it now seems likely that this timeline will be delayed.