Ohtani’s Role in the Upcoming World Baseball Classic
In the upcoming World Baseball Classic set for March, Shohei Ohtani, the remarkable two-way player from Japan, will not take the mound, as confirmed by Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts on Saturday. Instead, Ohtani has opted to concentrate on his role as the designated hitter for his national team. Roberts asserted that the Dodgers would have certainly backed Ohtani had he chosen to pitch.
Teammate’s Participation
Ohtani’s fellow teammate and recent World Series MVP, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, is scheduled to pitch for Japan, even after a demanding season with the Dodgers last year.
“Yoshi feels he wants to take it on and feels good, and we support him,”
Roberts remarked at the team’s fan fest event.
Ohtani’s Previous Performance and Health
Ohtani showcased his pitching prowess during the last WBC in 2023, where he made two starts and also closed out the championship game against Team USA, striking out his then-teammate Mike Trout for the final out. However, after suffering a torn ulnar collateral ligament in August and undergoing elbow surgery, Ohtani was limited to a full-time designated hitter role during the 2024 season with the Dodgers. He successfully returned to pitching later in the year, making four postseason starts that contributed to the Dodgers claiming their second consecutive World Series title.
Though Ohtani did not openly confirm his choice to refrain from pitching in the upcoming WBC when addressing the media, he did mention, through a translator, his need to monitor how his body feels and assess his progression moving forward. The 31-year-old expressed contentment with his current health, stating,
“I’m very healthy. Glad that I am.”
Management and Strategy
Roberts indicated there will be a careful management of Ohtani’s pitching this season, ensuring he has sufficient rest between starts and avoiding any short appearances.
The WBC will feature Ohtani, Yamamoto, and Roki Sasaki, his teammate from the 2023 championship-winning Japanese squad, although Sasaki will not be pitching this time due to a challenging rookie season that concluded with him working out of the bullpen for the Dodgers. The tournament will take place from March 5 to 17, and as spring training approaches, Roberts is strategizing his batting order, expressing confidence in having Ohtani lead off.
With spring training set to start on February 13 in Arizona, Roberts is evaluating potential placements for players in the lineup, and he finds the prospect of Mookie Betts batting third appealing.
– AP MLB
