"Shohei Ohtani was on the mound for the final out of the last World Baseball Classic, striking out then-teammate to take home the trophy. The 2026 edition of the event won't feature Ohtani the pitcher. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters, including Alden Gonzalez of ESPN, that the Japanese right-hander will not be pitching in the WBC. Roberts added that it was Ohtani's decision."
"Though Roberts said the team " absolutely" would've worked out Ohtani pitching in the tournament if he wanted to (per Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register), recent developments around WBC insurance may have thrown a wrench into the situation. Evan Drellich of The Athletic noted Ohtani was unlikely to be covered as a pitcher, meaning he couldn't have pitched in the WBC regardless of his personal preference. The insurance issues have led Team Puerto Rico to consider removing themselves from the event."
"Ohtani will still be on Team Japan as a DH. Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic relayed that the righty said he'll be ready to pitch to open the regular season. Ohtani didn't pitch at all in 2024 as he recovered from elbow surgery. A shoulder procedure at the conclusion of that season kept him off the mound until June of this past year."
Shohei Ohtani will not pitch in the 2026 World Baseball Classic but will participate as Team Japan's designated hitter. WBC insurance developments likely excluded Ohtani from being covered as a pitcher, which would have prevented him from throwing regardless of his preference, and insurance concerns have prompted Team Puerto Rico to consider withdrawing. Ohtani missed all of 2024 recovering from elbow surgery and then a shoulder procedure delayed his mound return until June 2025; he made 14 starts with a 2.87 ERA in 47 innings and had mixed playoff results. Blake Snell is taking a more deliberate offseason strength buildup after shoulder inflammation.
Read at MLB Trade Rumors
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