Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said during DodgerFest 2026 that reigning MVP Shohei Ohtani will not pitch for Team Japan at the World Baseball Classic.<\/b>
\nShohei Ohtani won\u2019t be a two-way player for Japan in the World Baseball Classic, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said on Saturday at DodgerFest.
\u201cHe\u2019s not going to pitch in the WBC, but he will be ramping up his arm to get ready for the season,\u201d Roberts said.
Earlier in the day, Ohtani said his status as a pitcher for the WBC remained undetermined. Ohtani said he\u2019d already thrown three or four bullpen sessions this offseason.
But Roberts said it was decided about a month ago that Ohtani would be a designated hitter in the WBC. The choice to focus on hitting was \u201cabsolutely\u201d Ohtani\u2019s call, according to Roberts.
Asked if the Dodgers would have allowed Ohtani to pitch in the WBC if he wanted, Roberts replied, \u201cAbsolutely.\u201d
Ohtani was a two-way player in the 2023 World Baseball Classic, which was won by Japan. Ohtani was Samurai Japan\u2019s closer in the championship game, and he struck out Mike Trout to register the final out.
In the regular season that followed, Ohtani was a two-way player for the Angels. He sustained a season-ending elbow injury in August. A month later, he underwent his second Tommy John surgery.
Ohtani didn\u2019t pitch in 2024, his first season with the Dodgers. He made his return to the mound last year, pitching 14 regular-season games, posting a 3.14 earned-run average.
He also pitched four postseason games.
Roberts said of Ohtani\u2019s decision to not pitch in the WBC: \u201cI wasn\u2019t surprised, so I can\u2019t even say I was relieved. Understanding what he did last year, what he had to go through to then how best to prepare himself for \u201826 to do both (pitch and hit), it just seemed like the right decision.\u201d
Roberts said that while Ohtani would occasionally receive extra rest between starts in the regular season, he would otherwise be treated like a normal starting pitcher.<\/p>\n