"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,"
"see how my body feels, feel the progression and see what happens."
"Absolutely."
Shohei Ohtani will not pitch for Samurai Japan in the upcoming World Baseball Classic and will serve as the designated hitter. The decision was made by Ohtani. Ohtani previously made two starts in the 2023 WBC and closed out the championship in relief. A subsequent ulnar collateral ligament tear forced him to spend all of 2024 as a full-time designated hitter. Ohtani returned to pitching late in 2025, was stretched out as a starter by October, and made four playoff starts, including recording the first seven outs in World Series Game 7 on three days' rest. The mid-March timing of the WBC influenced roster choices; only Yoshinobu Yamamoto from the 2023 rotation will return to pitch.
Read at ESPN.com
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