Last year, the Padres and Dodgers got the MLB regular season started early with two games in South Korea. This year, it’s the Cubs and Dodgers kicking things off the week before league-wide Opening Day.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, with the first pitch of each game scheduled for 6:10 a.m. ET, the 2025 season begins at the Tokyo Dome. This matchup features a boatload of Japanese stars and is sure to deliver an electric atmosphere.

The Dodgers will be showcasing two of their Japanese imports during this series, with Yamamoto starting in Game 1 and Sasaki taking the ball for his MLB debut in Game 2. On the other side, the Cubs will have their two best arms on the bump, with Imanaga going in Game 1 and southpaw Justin Steele getting the start for Game 2.

Not pitching, of course, is Shohei Ohtani, who is still rehabbing from elbow and shoulder surgeries. Ohtani was previously expected to be back on the mound come May, but a recent pause to his rehab has put that timeline in doubt.

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.

Missing for the Cubs during the Tokyo Series will be second baseman Nico Hoerner, who is still recovering from offseason flexor tendon surgery, and right-hander Javier Assad, who suffered a mild oblique strain in February. While Hoerner expects to be ready for domestic Opening Day, Assad is likely to start the season on the injured list.

Two pitchers who will not be on the Dodgers’ roster are left-hander Clayton Kershaw and right-hander Tony Gonsolin. Kershaw isn’t expected to return from offseason surgery until June or July, and Gonsolin was in a spring training battle with Dustin May for the team’s fifth starter spot until he sustained a back injury while lifting weights at the team facility.

Of more consequence for the Dodgers, Mookie Betts will miss the two games of the Tokyo Series. The superstar, who is making the transition to every-day shortstop this spring, began feeling flu-like symptoms during the final week of spring camp before the team left for Tokyo and continued to feel ill during the flight to Japan and subsequent workouts. Miguel Rojas will likely play shortstop for the Dodgers in Betts' absence.