Overview
- Manager Dave Roberts said he hopes Shohei Ohtani does not pitch in the 2026 World Baseball Classic and expects he will probably only hit.
- No official decision has been made on Ohtani’s WBC role, with the club emphasizing dialogue after his 2025 return to the mound following elbow surgery.
- General manager Brandon Gomes said the organization will meet with players to decide on participation and usage as the tournament approaches.
- Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s 2025 workload rose to 173 2/3 regular-season innings plus 37 1/3 in the postseason, a factor the team will weigh before any WBC pitching.
- Roki Sasaki missed over four months with a right shoulder impingement in 2025 and finished as a postseason closer, leaving his potential WBC pitching role under review.