Japanese MLB stars in the spotlight in 'home series'

A hearty homecoming is on tap as Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and the Los Angeles Dodgers will open the new Major League Baseball (MLB) season at the Tokyo Dome on March 18 against fellow Japanese Shota Imanaga, Seiya Suzuki and the Chicago Cubs.

- 

TOKYO -

Yamamoto will take the mound for the reigning World Series champions Dodgers in the first contest of a two-game set labelled the Tokyo Series. Imanaga will have the honour for the Cubs.

Japanese right-hander Roki Sasaki, one of the top free agents on the market in the off-season, will start on March 19 for Los Angeles against Chicago left-hander Justin Steele.

Ohtani was the National League (NL) Most Valuable Player last season and also became the first 50-50 player in MLB history. The two-way standout led the league with 134 runs scored, 54 home runs and 59 steals to propel the Dodgers (98-64) to the NL West title.