Why Dodgers Don't Want Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Roki Sasaki to Pitch in WBC

"The 2026 World Baseball Classic is quietly coming up closer than people may realize. The tournament is being held from March 5-17 across Japan, Puerto Rico, and the United States. Speaking of Japan, the reigning champs will look to further cement their standing as an elite baseball entity from a global standpoint. The Dodgers surely have big interest in how Japan fares this offseason given that Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Roki Sasaki have all represented their country in year's past."

"Doug McKain of Dodgers Nation recently touched on the topic - citing a Japanese article stating that there were concerns from the Dodgers side of things as it pertains to their three pitchers participating in this tournament. Also speaking with Japanese reporters, manager Dave Roberts let it be known that while the ballclub and franchise supports their players unconditionally, he'd prefer if the trio did not pitch for Team Japan."

"The start of the 2026 MLB regular season begins about a week after the final of the WBC is projected to take place. Of course, there's a case to be made for all three skipping out and resting in anticipation of the charge for a three-peat. Yamamoto threw the most innings of the bunch. That included some herculean efforts in the postseason, most notably making three appearances in the World Series. He's looked at as the ace of the staff, and the Dodgers surely would not want him adding mileage to his talented arm."

The 2026 World Baseball Classic will run March 5-17 across Japan, Puerto Rico, and the United States, with Japan entering as reigning champions. The Dodgers have vested interest because Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Roki Sasaki have represented Japan previously. Dodgers organization sources expressed concern about those pitchers participating, and manager Dave Roberts indicated a preference that the trio not pitch for Team Japan despite unconditional support. The WBC final ends about a week before Opening Day 2026, creating a strong case for resting key pitchers. Yamamoto logged the most innings, and Sasaki is recovering and rebuilding durability for a starter role.

Read at Dodgers Nation