Dodgers vs. Cubs Tokyo Series live updates, score: Opening Day 2025 is in Japan as Los Angeles starts title defense against Chicago
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The 2025 MLB regular season is here and the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs are set to kick things off in Tokyo. While their two games on Tuesday and Wednesday will count, they’ll return to spring training alongside the other 28 teams before the full Opening Day on March 27.
This will be the 10th time the MLB regular season has opened outside of the U.S. or Canadian mainland. The Dodgers opened the 2024 season against the Padres in Seoul, South Korea, with a win — they wound up splitting the two games — getting their season off to a good start on their way to a World Series title.
A couple of Japanese stars take the hill for this season opener as the Dodgers send ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto (7-2, 3.00 ERA, 105 K, 22 BB, 90.0 IP in 2024) to the mound and the Cubs counter with Shota Imanaga (15-3, 2.91 ERA, 174 K, 28 BB, 173.1 IP), who was an NL All-Star in his first season with the Cubs last year. Cubs DH Seiya Suzuki (.283/.366/.482 with 22 HR, 73 RBI and 116 SB) also makes his return to play in Japan as does Shohei Ohtani for the Dodgers who became the first full-time designated hitter to win an MVP award — and the second player to win an MVP in both leagues — last season with the Dodgers.
Date: Tuesday, March 18 Time: 6:10 a.m. ET/3:10 a.m. PT Location: Tokyo Dome | Bunkyō, Tokyo, Japan. TV Channel: Fox Streaming: Fubo
Live7 updates
Freddie Freeman scratched
No Mookie Betts or Freddie Freeman in the Opening Day Lineup for the Dodgers. Betts was sent home earlier in the week after an unspecified illness reportedly caused him to lose 15 pounds. Freeman’s absence was an unfortunate 11th-hour surprise, as the 2024 World Series hero was scratched with “left rib discomfort” about a half hour before first pitch in Tokyo. It’s a concerning, potentially foreboding injury for Freeman, who battled through a similar issue during the Fall Classic last season.
Welcome home, Shohei Ohtani
Who are the new faces on the Cubs and Dodgers?
While Roki Sasaki gets a lot of the attention as the Dodgers’ biggest acquisition of the past offseason — and for good reason — it’s easy to forget that L.A. also added two-time Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell to the top of its rotation, providing a true ace. And as you might’ve heard, the Dodgers also went several steps further, reinforcing the back of the bullpen with the additions of reliever Kirby Yates and closer Tanner Scott and boosting the lineup by signing outfielder Michael Conforto and second baseman Hyeseong Kim.
For the Cubs, the most notable new face on the roster happens to be the team’s best player in Kyle Tucker, who was acquired over the winter from the Houston Astros. Tucker, who will be penciled in as the team’s right fielder, is entering a contract year, which should make for a storyline to watch all season. Other new faces on Chicago’s roster include infielder Justin Turner, closer Ryan Pressly, left-hander Matthew Boyd and top prospect Matt Shaw, who is expected to make his MLB debut in Tokyo and be the team’s every-day third baseman.
Cubs’ Japanese stars are ready to go
It’ll be a special moment for Shota Imanaga and Seiya Suzuki as they play in their native Japan.
Why is MLB starting the season in Tokyo?
It’s no secret that Major League Baseball wants to have a global reach, which is understandable considering the many countries represented in the league. After playing regular-season MLB series in Puerto Rico, Mexico, England, the Dominican Republic and South Korea, the next and biggest frontier in baseball was Japan.
There’s as much Japanese star power in Major League Baseball today as there has ever been in league history. That’s not to mention that the best player in the sport, Shohei Ohtani, not only hails from Japan but also has become a global superstar. And while Ohtani’s fame has reached international levels, the other Japanese stars who will appear in the series — including Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Roki Sasaki, Shota Imanaga and Seiya Suzuki — represent some of the best talent to come out of Japan in recent years.
For all intents and purposes, these two matchups are spring training games that happen to count. In some ways, it might seem like much ado about nothing, given that Chicago’s and Los Angeles’ rosters might look significantly different two weeks from now. But the importance of showcasing baseball on an international scale is paramount.
Game 1 starters
Yoshinobu Yamamoto will start the Dodgers’ title defense, while Shota Imanaga will take the mound for the Cubs in Tokyo.
Wake up, it’s time for baseball!
Where are you watching from this morning?
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