(Photo credit score: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images)
Shohei Ohtani exited spring coaching camp with a digital handle-with-care tag because the Dodgers’ two-way star commits his skills to serving to Japan win a fourth World Baseball Classic. Well, most of his skills anyway.
Ohtani’s subsequent step in his return to being a two-way participant full-time this season would not embody pitching subsequent month for his residence nation within the WBC.
‘Just coming off the surgical procedure, coming off the yr he had, pitching via October, simply the fast turnaround at that form of depth coming off surgical procedure,’ Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman stated. ‘And then clearly, we now have designs of enjoying via October this yr, and Shohei being a giant a part of that on the mound. That, coupled with the concept he needs to pitch for the subsequent eight years, we would like him to pitch for the subsequent eight years, simply attempting to be actually aware of all of that.
‘And so we sat down, had the dialog with him. He understood it. The competitor in him would not find it irresistible, however he understood it.’
Ohtani stated in a half-truth reveal he cannot say for sure that aggressive hearth will not unfold within the second. There was one hypothetical situation enjoying in his thoughts when the query arose about taking the mound for an inning and even one batter.
‘Hard to say it,’ Ohtani stated by way of interpreter Will Ireton, ‘but when (Mike) Trout exhibits up, it is tempting.’
Trout, a detailed good friend and former Los Angeles Angels teammate of Ohtani, will not be in uniform for the U.S. group in March.
That means no redux of the 2023 final-out showdown by which Ohtani was on the mound and struck out Trout in a high-leverage second the Dodgers would love their treasured four-time MVP to keep away from this time round.
Ohtani, who missed solely 4 video games in 2025 and performed all however three in 2024, has labored with the Dodgers to tone down a few of his dual-position upramp this spring. He’s additionally performed in 33 playoff video games in his two seasons with the Dodgers. He didn’t pitch in 2024 coming off of Tommy John surgical procedure however threw 47 innings in 14 appearances final season.
To get ready for a much bigger position as a pitcher in 2026, Ohtani will throw some stay batting apply periods and simulated video games whereas away from the Dodgers on the WBC.
‘I’ll do all the things in my energy to verify the standard and the quantity are in a superb place,’ Ohtani stated. ‘With the restricted alternatives I do have, being in a stay state of affairs, I simply need to do the perfect I can in these conditions.’
–Field Level Media