Ohtani is being interviewed at a Dodgers fan event held on the 1st. /AFPBBNews = News 1

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts is being interviewed by reporters. /AFPBBNews = News 1

During the World Baseball Classic (WBC) held in March, Shohei Ohtani (32, LA Dodgers) of the Japanese national team was not seen on the mound. He repeatedly emphasized that there was no interference from the club in making this decision.

Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told local media outlets such as CBS Sports and USA Today that Ohtani would not pitch in the WBC, strongly stating that this was entirely the player’s own decision.

Manager Roberts said, “The club never ordered or pressured Ohtani,” and added, “This decision was 100% based on his own judgment and choice.”

The reason the Dodgers continue to emphasize their “clean hands” is because of Ohtani’s symbolic status. If public opinion were to form criticizing the club for preventing Ohtani from participating with the national team, they appear to be wary not only of backlash from Japanese fans but also from baseball fans around the world. In reality, from the club’s standpoint, they cannot help but be cautious about allowing pitchers to participate in international tournaments. Even with limits on pitch counts, concerns remain about the workload on the shoulder or elbow.

Roberts went on to explain, “If Ohtani wanted to stand on the mound, our club would of course support his decision and help him prepare properly. However, he personally determined that focusing on hitting in this tournament was the right choice in order to perfect the Dodgers’ pitching rotation for the 2026 season.”

Ohtani said, “I’m well aware of the expectations of the fans, so I did consider pitching until the very end. But my biggest responsibility is to be able to take the mound in a healthy condition throughout the 2026 season. To be frank, I thought it would be best to contribute 100% to the team as a hitter rather than overexert myself right now.”

Ohtani also said, “Dave always asks for my opinion, and this time he trusted and supported my decision as well.” He added that thanks to the club’s consideration, an environment was created where he could focus solely on the tournament, directly denying rumors that the club pressured him.

In fact, Ohtani returned to the mound in the 2025 season after undergoing his second elbow surgery in 2023 and gradually increased his pitch count. For him personally, this season marks a crucial crossroads as he attempts, for the first time since surgery, to complete a full season as a full-time pitcher. Ultimately, the cold, realistic judgment that an international tournament held in March could jeopardize his regular-season comeback appears to have led to the decision to “give up pitching.” In the 2025 season, Ohtani pitched in 14 games with an ERA of 2.87. His pitch count did not exceed 47 pitches, averaging about 3⅓ innings per appearance.

Local media, including the official Major League Baseball website MLB.com, reported that “the Dodgers respect Ohtani’s decision.” There was also a sense of relief that they were able to protect Ohtani’s health, the team’s core asset.

Nevertheless, Ohtani is expected to be highly active as the central hitter for “Samurai Japan” in this WBC and aims to lead the team to a second consecutive championship. Although fans will not see Ohtani on the mound, Ohtani, fully focused on hitting, is drawing the attention of baseball fans around the world with his offensive firepower at the WBC.