While we know at least one of the starters from the Cubs end on the Tokyo Series next month, the team has not made an official announcement yet.

Shota Imanaga is in line to start one of the games in Japan, as manager Craig Counsell confirmed Sunday during the Cubs press conferences to kick off spring training.

Justin Steele may very well get the ball in the other game, as he was the team’s Opening Day starter in 2024 before getting hurt in that first game. Imanaga stepped up as the team’s ace throughout the season but Steele once again put up a very strong year.

[Why Shota Imanaga thinks one stat highlights his ability to continue to grow with Cubs]

The Cubs also have Jameson Taillon, Matthew Boyd, Colin Rea and Javier Assad in the mix as starting options to open the 2025 season, though Assad is currently dealing with an injury in camp.

Meanwhile, the Dodgers unveiled their starting pitchers in the 2-game set against the Cubs next month on March 18-19:

If this holds true, both of the Dodgers’ young Japanese right-handers will get to showcase their stuff in their home country – just like Imanaga.

Since it is only 2 games and they fall 10 days earlier than the normal start of an MLB season, both teams will likely be aggressive going to their bullpen and won’t stretch their starters too deep into games. They want to prioritize pitching health over the full, 162-game season.

[WATCH: Tommy Hottovy discusses pitching plan in spring training]

Yamamoto signed a $325 million deal in L.A. last offseason but dealt with some injuries throughout his rookie campaign, making only 18 starts. He went 7-2 with a 3.00 ERA and 105 strikeouts in 90 innings.

Sasaki, 23, was a highly coveted international free agent this past winter and ultimately chose the Dodgers. He is ranked as the No. 1 prospect in all of baseball by both MLB Pipeline and Baseball America entering 2025.

Seiya Suzuki and Shohei Ohtani are each expected to serve as their respective team’s DH during the Tokyo Series as well, marking five high-profile Japanese players taking part in the pair of games.