Shohei Ohtani Won't Pitch in the World Baseball Classic
Los Angeles Dodgers two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani has decided that he will not pitch in the upcoming World Baseball Classic, according to manager Dave Roberts. Ohtani will still play for Team Japan, slotting into the lineup as their designated hitter. Roberts said that the Dodgers would have been open to Ohtani pitching, but that won't happen because he is only going to be covered by the league's third-party injury insurance as a hitter and not as a pitcher. Less strain on Ohtani's arm might work out better for Los Angeles in the long run, anyway. The 31-year-old didn't throw a pitch in 2024 due to elbow surgery, and he was limited to just 47 innings on the mound across 14 starts. He was as dominant as ever, pitching to a 1.90 FIP with 11.87 K/9, 1.72 BB/9, 0.57 HR/9, and a 41.4% ground ball rate. He said that he will be healthy to start the 2026 season, making him the consensus 1.01 pick in fantasy baseball draft rankings.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
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