Shohei Ohtani Won't Pitch in WBC As He Eyes Return to Full-Time Two-Way Duties

Shohei Ohtani won't pitch for Team Japan in the World Baseball Classic, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters during DodgerFest on Saturday.

“I wasn’t surprised. I can’t even say I was relieved," Roberts said. "Understanding what he did last year, what he had to go through to then how best to prepare himself for ’26 to do both—it just seemed like the right decision.”