Ohtani won't pitch at World Baseball Classic
Shohei Ohtani won't pitch for Japan during the World Baseball Classic, Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters Saturday.
Roberts said it was Ohtani's decision not to pitch and the Dodgers would have allowed him to, according to the California Post's Jack Harris.
It's unlikely Ohtani would have received insurance to pitch had he wanted to, a source told The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal and Evan Drellich.
Ohtani will serve as the DH for the defending WBC champions and should be ready to pitch for the Dodgers from the outset of the regular season, Roberts added, according to Ardaya.
The four-time MVP struck out Team USA's Mike Trout to clinch the 2023 WBC for Japan.
Japan's pitching staff should still be formidable with Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Yusei Kikuchi, Tomoyuki Sugano, and others on the roster. Roberts confirmed Yamamoto will pitch at the WBC despite a heavy workload last season.
"Yoshi feels he wants to take it on and feels good, and we support him," Roberts said, according to Beth Harris of The Associated Press.