"Many players view it as an honor to play for their country, and they take time away from Spring Training to do so. Several members of the Los Angeles Dodgers have participated in the past, including Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Roki Sasaki, Will Smith, Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman and Teoscar Hernández. However, the WBC also presents challenges as players need to prepare to play sooner than what Spring Training typically allows."
"For the Dodgers, it may be even more difficult after deep playoff runs in consecutive seasons, along with two international series that both shortened their offseason breaks. Hernández has taken that into consideration, and decided to skip out on joining Team Dominican Republic in the WBC to give his body extra rest and focus on the season, he told Moises Fabian during an interview."
The World Baseball Classic returns in 2026, giving MLB players the chance to represent their countries after a three-year gap. Many players view WBC participation as an honor and often miss Spring Training to compete. Several Dodgers have played in past tournaments, including Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Roki Sasaki, Will Smith, Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman and Teoscar Hernández. WBC participation forces earlier preparation and adds physical stress ahead of a long MLB season. Hernández opted to skip joining the Dominican Republic to give his body extra rest and focus on the season. The Dodgers have also reportedly shopped Hernández in trade discussions as they seek outfield improvements.
Read at Dodger Blue
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]