Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki are expected to pitch for the Los Angeles Dodgers during the team's season-opening series in Tokyo next month, manager Dave Roberts said on Wednesday.

Roberts, preparing for his 10th season guiding the Dodgers, said the reigning World Series champions plan to have the Japanese aces on the mound when they face the Chicago Cubs on March 18 and 19 at Tokyo Dome.

"The expectation for both those guys to pitch is real," Roberts said on MLB Network. "That's our expectation.