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The Los Angeles Dodgers are heavily invested in Shohei Ohtani, to the tune of a deferral-laden $700 million contract that expires in 2033.
Team Japan only needs Ohtani at his best for the next six days in order to win the World Baseball Classic. And the Dodgers are closely guarding how Ohtani be used in the international tournament.
MORE:Conflict to delay Dodgers’ White House visit until after Nationals series: report
Ohtani, Team Japan’s designated hitter, threw four “innings” against teammates during Japan’s WBC workout on March 12. Afterward, he clarified to reporters (including ESPN’s Alden Gonzalez) that this was not a sign of things to come in the WBC — only the Major League Baseball regular season.
Ohtani reiterated that there is “no chance” he will pitch in the tournament, according to Gonzalez.
Another Dodgers pitcher, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, is scheduled to start for Japan in its upcoming quarterfinal match against Venezuela.
In 2025, Ohtani claimed his second consecutive National League MVP award after returning to the mound for the first time since undergoing elbow surgery in September 2023.
Ohtani finished the season with 55 home runs, 102 RBIs, and a .282/.392/.622 slash line as a hitter. As a pitcher, he had a 2.87 ERA across 47 innings in 14 starts.
Ohtani pitch and hit in the postseason as the Dodgers captured their second consecutive World Series championship, beating the Toronto Blue Jays in seven games.
Japan is looking to defend its 2023 WBC title — a tournament that ended when Ohtani struck out Mike Trout of the United States to clinch the championship.
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The post Will Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani pitch in WBC? Team Japan star has 2-word answer appeared first on The Big Lead.
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Team Japan only needs Ohtani at his best for the next six days in order to win the World Baseball Classic. And the Dodgers are closely guarding how Ohtani be used in the international tournament.
MORE:Conflict to delay Dodgers’ White House visit until after Nationals series: report
Ohtani, Team Japan’s designated hitter, threw four “innings” against teammates during Japan’s WBC workout on March 12. Afterward, he clarified to reporters (including ESPN’s Alden Gonzalez) that this was not a sign of things to come in the WBC — only the Major League Baseball regular season.
Ohtani reiterated that there is “no chance” he will pitch in the tournament, according to Gonzalez.
Another Dodgers pitcher, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, is scheduled to start for Japan in its upcoming quarterfinal match against Venezuela.
In 2025, Ohtani claimed his second consecutive National League MVP award after returning to the mound for the first time since undergoing elbow surgery in September 2023.
Ohtani finished the season with 55 home runs, 102 RBIs, and a .282/.392/.622 slash line as a hitter. As a pitcher, he had a 2.87 ERA across 47 innings in 14 starts.
Ohtani pitch and hit in the postseason as the Dodgers captured their second consecutive World Series championship, beating the Toronto Blue Jays in seven games.
Japan is looking to defend its 2023 WBC title — a tournament that ended when Ohtani struck out Mike Trout of the United States to clinch the championship.
— Enjoy free coverage of the top news & trending stories on The Big Lead —
NFL: 2026 NFL Free Agency’s biggest Day 1 winners
WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC: Blue Jays send message to Team Canada after making WBC history
MARCH MADNESS: 5 potential bracket-busting March Madness 2026 Cinderella teams
NBA: Adam Silver sends message after cancelling Hawks’ ‘Magic Monday’ promotion
SPORTS MEDIA: Yankees’ Michael Kay makes blunt admission about losing Opening Day to Netflix
VIRAL: Wasserman Agency reveals new name, cancelling disgraced founder
The post Will Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani pitch in WBC? Team Japan star has 2-word answer appeared first on The Big Lead.
Continue reading...
