Freddie Freeman of the Los Angeles Dodgers was ultimately not included in the starting lineup for the second game of the Tokyo series.

The Dodgers and the Chicago Cubs revealed their starting lineup for the second game of the MLB World Tour Tokyo Opening Series, taking place at the Tokyo Dome in Japan on the 19th.

Freddie Freeman, who was the main point of interest in the Dodgers' starting lineup, was ultimately excluded from the starting lineup for the second game as well. Freeman was included in the starting lineup for the previous day's (18th) game but felt pain in his left rib during the final minutes of training. After discussions with the team's management, he was removed from the lineup 30 minutes before the game started. He did not come in as a substitute either.

Freeman had previously complained of pain in the same area during the World Series last October. Manager Dave Roberts noted after the previous day's (18th) game, "I want to see how he feels after treatment today and what his condition is tomorrow. I don't want to push it. I heard there's a 75% chance he can play tomorrow. I will keep my hopes up and monitor until tomorrow."

However, Freeman was closer to a 25% chance. Ultimately, he was excluded from the starting lineup. The Dodgers came out with the same lineup as the previous day: Shohei Ohtani (designated hitter), Tommy Edman (second baseman), Teoscar Hernández (right fielder), Will Smith (catcher), Max Muncy (third baseman), Kiké Hernández (first baseman), Michael Conforto (left fielder), Miguel Rojas (shortstop), and Andy Pahés (center fielder).

Manager Roberts stated, "He improved from yesterday," but Freeman was still excluded from the starting lineup and it was uncertain whether he would come in as a substitute. Freeman, who expressed excitement about the Tokyo opening series saying, "It's ten times more exciting than Korea," ended his Tokyo journey feeling unpleasant due to the injury.

The starting pitcher was the sensational Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki, who heated up the winter Stove League. Sasaki, who challenged the Major League stage through posting, signed with the Dodgers for a signing bonus of $6.5 million instead of a substantial long-term contract, as per the international amateur contract regulations applicable to players under 25 years of age. The San Diego Padres and Toronto Blue Jays had also competed to acquire Sasaki.

Unlike other pitchers, Sasaki methodically built up his performance. On the 4th, he made his exhibition game debut against the Cincinnati Reds, coming in as the second pitcher after starter Yamamoto. He pitched three innings with two hits, one hit by pitch, one walk, and five strikeouts with no runs allowed. Then, on the 11th against the Cleveland Guardians, he recorded four innings, one hit, two walks, two strikeouts, and no runs, finishing his warm-up.

The Cubs' starting lineup included IAAN Happ (left fielder), Seiya Suzuki (designated hitter), Kyle Tucker (right fielder), Michael Busch (first baseman), Matt Shaw (third baseman), Dansby Swanson (shortstop), Pete Crow-Armstrong (center fielder), Carson Kelly (catcher), and John Berti (second baseman). The catcher changed from Miguel Amaya to Carson Kelly.

The starting pitcher is Justin Steele. Steele recorded a record of five wins and five losses with an earned run average of 3.07 over 24 games and 134⅔ innings last year. Although he was the opening day starter last year, he missed more than a month due to a hamstring injury, he performed ace duties while on the mound. In 2023, he recorded 16 wins and five losses with an earned run average of 3.06 over 30 games and 173⅓ innings.

[OSEN = Reporter Jo Hyung-rae]