"At present, only Shohei Ohtani is officially confirmed to play in the international tournament. Ohtani committed to Team Japan through a public announcement on Instagram in late November. The general consensus is he would be accompanied on the Samurai Japan roster by Dodgers teammates Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki. While there has yet to be confirmation of such, Sasaki is on the preliminary roster and should be part of Team Japan for the 2026 WBC, according to Francys Romero:"
"With the expectation that Sasaki is going to be part of Team Japan, it will represent the first look at his return to a starting pitching role. Roki Sasaki's WBC career Like Ohtani and Yamamoto, Sasaki was with the Japanese baseball team when they won the gold medal in the 2023 World Baseball Classic. The young right-hander went 1-0 with a 3.52 ERA and 11 strikeouts over 7.2 innings pitched."
The Los Angeles Dodgers will hold a more traditional Spring Training in 2026 while several players are expected to participate in the World Baseball Classic. Shohei Ohtani has officially committed to Team Japan via Instagram. Dodgers teammates Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki are widely expected to join Samurai Japan, with Sasaki listed on a preliminary roster. The Dodgers stated they will support player participation despite prior injuries. Sasaki spent significant time on the 60-day injured list in 2025, and his WBC appearance would mark a return to a starting pitching role. Sasaki previously helped Japan win the 2023 WBC.
Read at Dodger Blue
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