Amid ongoing uncertainty around MLB involvement, Yoshinobu Yamamoto offers candid thoughts on baseball’s return in 2028 Los Angeles Olympics

Dodgers ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto was recently selected to his first MLB All-Star Game. The Japanese sensation has been instrumental in holding down the fort amid injury issues in the team's rotation and has tallied an impressive 8-7 record with a 2.59 ERA across 19 starts this season.

Ahead of the MLB All-Star Game in Atlanta, Yamamoto was asked about his opinion regarding the return of baseball in the 2028 Summer Olympics that will be held in Los Angeles. In an article originally published by Yahoo! Sports Japan, the pitching superstar expressed his enthusiasm about the return of said events while simultaneously casting doubts about his future involvement.

"I think it would be good to hold it in Los Angeles. I don't know if I can participate, but I think it would be even more exciting if major league players could participate," said Yamamoto.

Baseball made its debut as a tournament sport in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. It was held until the 2008 edition in Beijing before being discontinued. Then in the 2020 Tokyo Games, it was revived in a one-off as Yamamoto and Japan snagged the gold against the United States in the grand final.

Owing to its popularity and appeal stateside — baseball, along with softball, are expected to return to the 2028 Summer Olympics in L.A. It is, however, uncertain if MLB players will be allowed to participate in the events.

"Even though there are many other games, I think it's a special one. I think it's an opportunity for the people of the country to come together as one, and for fans and people who aren't interested in baseball to come and support the team. I think that's really great."

Yoshinobu Yamamoto set to miss maiden MLB All-Star Game due to regular season commitment

Although he was selected to appear in his first Midsummer Classic, Dodgers superstar Yoshinobu Yamamoto is set to miss the spectacle as he's set to pitch on Sunday against the visiting Brewers at home. Taking his place is Cincinnati Reds hurler Andrew Abott who himself is making his first All-Star appearance.

After his starring role in the 2024 MLB postseason, the Dodgers ace has picked up where he left off and has continued his dominance in his second season in the majors. He has already gathered a 2.5 fWAR to go along with 116 strikeouts across 104 1/3 innings pitched.

Back in home nation, the Okayama, Japan-native was selected to five NPB All-Star Games, including three-straight selections from 2021 to 2023. In the same time span, he won the Japanese Triple Crown, Eiji Sawamura Award, and the Pacific League MVP honors.