TOKYO — The Dodgers’ world tour arrived in Tokyo on Thursday.
The 31-player travel roster features 14 players who weren’t on the plane that touched down in South Korea for the Seoul Series a year ago. New to the experience this year are outfielders Michael Conforto and Andy Pages, multi-position player Tommy Edman and 11 pitchers – Anthony Banda, Ben Casparius, Jack Dreyer, Nick Frasso, Luis Garcia, Matt Sauer, Tanner Scott, Blake Snell, Justin Wrobleski, Kirby Yates and Roki Sasaki, who will make his MLB debut when he starts the second game against the Chicago Cubs next Wednesday (3 a.m. PT).
Inclusion on the travel roster is no small honor for the young players brought along. It comes with a $70,000 bonus.
Left behind in Arizona was Korean infielder Hyeseong Kim. Signed to a three-year, $12.5 million contract this winter, the 26-year-old Kim proved adept defensively at multiple positions but looked overmatched against the higher-quality pitching he will face in MLB. He was 6 for 29 (.207) with 11 strikeouts in Cactus League play and will open the season in Triple-A.
Also among the final cuts of the spring were right-hander Bobby Miller, top prospect Dalton Rushing and non-roster players Giovanny Gallegos, David Bote, Michael Chavis and Eddie Rosario. Dustin May won the fifth starter spot when Tony Gonsolin injured his back and did not make the trip to Tokyo, staying behind in Arizona to continue his buildup.
The Dodgers will hold their first workout at the Tokyo Dome on Friday (Thursday night PT) with exhibition games against the Yomiuri Giants and Hanshin Tigers on Saturday and Sunday (Tokyo time).
Twenty-eight of the 31 players will be active for the regular-season games against the Cubs on Tuesday and Wednesday. Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Sasaki will start those games. Tyler Glasnow and Snell are scheduled to pitch the exhibition games.
Here is the full travel roster:
CATCHERS (3) – Austin Barnes, Hunter Feduccia, Will Smith
INFIELDERS (4) – Freddie Freeman, Max Muncy, Mookie Betts, Miguel Rojas
DH (1) – Shohei Ohtani
OUTFIELDERS (4) – Teoscar Hernandez, Michael Conforto, Andy Pages, James Outman
INFIELDERS/OUTFIELDERS (3) – Tommy Edman, Chris Taylor, Kiké Hernandez
PITCHERS (16) – Anthony Banda, Ben Casparius, Jack Dreyer, Nick Frasso, Luis Garcia, Tyler Glasnow, Landon Knack, Roki Sasaki, Matt Sauer, Tanner Scott, Blake Snell, Blake Treinen, Alex Vesia, Justin Wrobleski, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Kirby Yates
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