Inside the Los Angeles Dodgers, there is an atmosphere of concern upon seeing how their players have committed to playing in the 2026 World Baseball Classic, with Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto being two of the key players included on Team Japan‘s roster this year.
The one who decided not to join the Japanese national team is Roki Sasaki-likely and most certainly because he missed a significant portion of his rookie season due to a right shoulder injury-remembering that it was precisely in this competition where he shone in the 2023 World Baseball Classic.
Unlike Yamamoto‘s defined role, Shohei Ohtani‘s role within the team is not yet defined; in the previous edition, he performed as both a pitcher and a hitter.
There are very different feelings between Dave Roberts and his players.
First, according to Taro Abe of the Japanese newspaper Chunichi Sports, Yoshinobu Yamamoto has said he feels a “great sense of responsibility” when pitching for Japan and that he has been preparing consistently and rigorously for the WBC.
Meanwhile, the Dodgers‘ manager did not hide his concern about the additional workload his players will face-those who, after finishing the World Baseball Classic, will have to report for the start of a new MLB season.
The Japanese players in the World Baseball Classic
The Dodgers pitchers participating in the World Baseball Classic must report to spring training no later than Wednesday, February 11-two days before pitchers and catchers have their first official practice.
For its part, Japan will open its training camp on February 14 in Miyazaki.
The Japanese national team will make up Group C of the 2026 World Baseball Classic, which will play its first-round games at the Tokyo Dome from March 5 to 10. Australia, Chinese Taipei, and Korea complete this group.
Everything points to Yoshinobu Yamamoto having a starring role, with multiple starts throughout the tournament-especially if Japan advances to the gold medal game.
Read the full article here
