TOKYO (Kyodo) -- The Chicago Cubs' scheduled Opening Day starter Shota Imanaga said Friday he is prepared both physically and mentally to face a Los Angeles Dodgers lineup that features Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman.

The Cubs and Dodgers will play the first games of Major League Baseball's 2025 season on Tuesday and Wednesday at Tokyo Dome, the sixth MLB season-opening series in Japan.

"I'm in good shape both physically and mentally," second-year left-hander Imanaga told a press conference in Tokyo. "They have a lot of great players. The Dodgers can score runs from anywhere in their lineup, so I'll try not to let my guard down."

Imanaga and Dodgers right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto will be the first Japanese pitchers to go head-to-head as MLB Opening Day starters.

"I'm honored, but I also feel an enormous sense of responsibility and pressure, so I've been trying to sleep well to overcome the pressure," said Imanaga, who posted a 15-3 record with a 2.91 ERA in 29 starts in his MLB rookie season.

Japanese teammate Seiya Suzuki is excited to play in front of home fans.

Asked how he wants to perform this season, the outfielder said, "I've been sidelined by injuries every year since I joined the Cubs, so I want to have an injury-free season, help the team defeat great rivals and eventually become a World Series champion."

The Cubs are scheduled to play exhibition games against the Hanshin Tigers on Saturday and the Yomiuri Giants on Sunday.

"We're thrilled to be able to play two Japanese teams," Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. "That is just fascinating for us to see different style of baseball, to learn about the stadium, to play in front of the fans for a couple days.

"Fast forward, the regular season starts for us, and that means it's the championship season, and it's two games that count, and we get the opportunity to play the world champions, which means it's a great challenge and a great way to start our test to a championship."