Yoshi Tsutsugo always wanted to play for the Dodgers. When he decided to leave Japan’s Yokohama Bay Stars for the major leagues after a decade and five All-Star seasons in 2019, he preferred them over the other teams interested in his services. It took another a year and a half, but he’s a Dodger after the roughest patch of his professional career.
The Dodgers acquired Tsutsugo from the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday for a player to be named later or cash after the Rays designated him for assignment, essentially discarding him after he failed to adjust to major league pitching in 288 plate appearances.
The Dodgers expressed interest in Tsutsugo before he signed with Tampa Bay two winters ago, according to a person with knowledge of the situation. They pounced this time around because injuries have ravaged their diminished depth, prompting a series of moves along the margins since the start of the month, and they believe they can fix his offensive shortcomings.
Tsutsugo made his debut at Dodger Stadium on Tuesday, starting in left field and batting seventh behind Albert Pujols in the Dodgers’ 9-1 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks. He became the third Japanese-born position player to play for the franchise, joining his manager Dave Roberts and Norihiro Nakamura.
“I’m very grateful to the Rays,” Tsutsugo, 29, said in Japanese. “Of course, I’m disappointed I couldn’t contribute to the Rays. But now that I have a new team, I’m grateful to have another chance to play again. I’ll just do the best that I can for the team.”
The left-handed hitter walked in his first two plate appearances and finished 0 for 2. His new teammates supplied the production as the Dodgers improved to 24-18. Chris Taylor, starting at third base for the first time since 2019, went 2 for 4 with a walk and a tiebreaking, two-run home run after not starting the previous two days because of right wrist soreness. Shortstop Gavin Lux busted the game open with a grand slam on an 0-and-2 pitch with two outs in the seventh inning.
Julio Urías had exited minutes earlier after holding the Diamondbacks (18-25) to one run and three hits with eight strikeouts and no walks. He added a single at the plate. Blake Treinen relieved him in the seventh inning with two runners on base and induced a fly ball to end the inning.
Tsutsugo starred at Yokohama High, renowned in Japan for a baseball program that has produced Daisuke Matsuzaka among others, before becoming one of the best players in Nippon Professional Baseball, batting .285 with 205 homers in 10 seasons. But the skills haven’t translated to the major leagues yet.
Last season, he hit .197 with a .708 on-base-plus-slugging percentage and eight home runs in 51 games. He regressed further this year, batting .167 with a .462 OBP and zero homers in 26 games.
The Dodgers, however, believe they can repair Tsutsugo’s biggest flaw as a major leaguer: hitting high velocity. Tsutsugo changed his swing when he left Japan. He said he will integrate parts of his old swing but not revert to it entirely.
“I’m very grateful to the Rays staff,” Tsutsugo said. “We communicated well. I just couldn’t take good swings.”
He declined to give details about the swing change other than to mention the problem has been timing. But the Rays instructed him to tone down his leg kick to help him hit high velocity. It didn’t work. Roberts said Tsutsugo became “a shell of himself.”
Tsutsugo primarily will play left field and third base for the Dodgers, filling the hole Edwin Ríos left behind when he opted for season-ending shoulder surgery.
“We very much believe in the bat,” Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said. “We still believe he can hit, and sometimes a change of scenery helps.”
Short hops
The Dodgers placed left-hander Garrett Cleavinger on the 10-day injured list with left forearm inflammation before Tuesday’s game. Left-hander Alex Vesia was recalled in his spot. … Roberts said Cody Bellinger and Zach McKinstry should begin rehab assignments with triple-A Oklahoma City by Friday. Roberts said right-hander Tony Gonsolin is scheduled to log a two-inning outing for Oklahoma City this week.
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