Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto returns Tuesday after missing three months with a rotator cuff strain

The Los Angeles Dodgers rotation will get an important building block back next week.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto will return from the injured list on Tuesday after missing nearly three months with a rotator cuff strain, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters on Wednesday. Yamamoto will face the Chicago Cubs at home.

Yamamoto made two rehab starts before the announcement, pitching two innings in each for the Triple-A Oklahoma City club. He allowed three earned runs while recording five strikeouts and two walks.

The return is welcome news for the Dodgers' rotation, which has been plagued by injuries all year. Clayton Kershaw and Tyler Glasnow are both still trying to get back into the team, and Bobby Miller and Walker Buehler are struggling to get back into form.

With less than a month to go before the MLB postseason begins, the Dodgers want as much clarity as possible on their starting pitchers following the events of last year when the Arizona Diamondbacks were left with a completely destroyed rotation.

Yamamoto was an early standout for the Dodgers after joining the team last season on a pitcher-record 12-year, $325 million contract. He had a 2.92 ERA with 84 strikeouts in 74 innings over 14 starts before being injured during his June 15 outing.

The biggest concern for Yamamoto entering MLB was his endurance. Injuries were not an issue during his career in Japan, but his smaller stature at 5'10″ and 175 pounds and his previous adherence to the weekly Japanese pitching schedule made some wonder if he could pitch every five days in MLB. A single injury does not justify those concerns, but it does make Yamamoto's ability to finish the season significant for his future.