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Dodgers reveal full plans for Shohei Ohtani at WBC for Japan originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Shohei Ohtani closed out the 2023 World Baseball Classic on the mound.
It was a classic scene. He struck out his Angels teammate Mike Trout in the championship game, getting the save for Samurai Japan over the United States.
That won't be possible in the 2026 WBC, though.
Ohtani will only be hitting for Japan, not pitching.
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Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts revealed that news in a conversation with reporters on Saturday.
Roberts also shared that Ohtani will be ready to pitch for the Dodgers as soon as the regular season gets underway.
That makes it clear that this is a cautionary decision, not a specifically health-related one.
Given the overall importance of Ohtani as a two-way superstar to the Dodgers, it makes sense that they'd want to limit how much usage his arm gets.
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They want him for the World Series as they try to three-peat. If he pitches at too high an intensity in March, that could create worries as the season goes along.
This way, Japan gets one of the best hitters on the planet in its lineup, and the Dodgers ensure that Ohtani's crucial right arm is healthy when Opening Day arrives.
It's a compromise, to be sure. Both sides will be OK with it, though, because they get Ohtani on their team.
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