The Los Angeles Dodgers were busy once again this offseason, as they loaded up for another championship run, even though they won their second World Series in a row in 2025. Per usual, the guy who will likely play the biggest role in the team’s success is its two-way superstar, Shohei Ohtani.
After making a return to the mound in 2025, Ohtani will be looking to make it through the entire 2026 campaign playing as both a hitter and a pitcher. With the 2026 World Baseball Classic drawing near, Ohtani will once again be representing Japan in the tournament, but his status with the Dodgers ahead of the action has received a noteworthy update.
Shohei Ohtani Set to Suit Up for Cactus League Games Before World Baseball Classic
Over the past few seasons, Ohtani has solidified himself as the best baseball player in the world. He’s won three straight MVP Awards, and he also won a fourth in 2021. Beyond his impact as a hitter at the plate, Ohtani is also a lights-out pitcher, although he’s dealt with a slew of injuries in that department over the past few years.
After not having pitched since 2023, Ohtani returned to the mound last season and gradually ramped up his work during L.A.’s World Series run. When all was said and done, Ohtani posted a 1-1 record with a 2.87 ERA and 62 strikeouts over 14 starts, but after making it through the offseason healthy, the training wheels are likely going to come off for him in 2026.
Before he returns to action for the Dodgers, Ohtani will be participating in the upcoming World Baseball Classic with Japan. With Ohtani leading the charge, Japan figures to have a decent shot at coming out on top, but in order to ensure he’s fresh for the tournament, it looks like he will get some work in during the team’s Cactus League action over the next few days.
“Shohei Ohtani is scheduled to play a couple of Cactus League games for the two-time defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers before he departs the desert to join Japan for the World Baseball Classic,” Janie McCauley of AP News reported.
Shohei Ohtani Looking to Lead Dodgers to Third-Straight World Series
GettyLos Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani
Los Angeles has been very cautious in its management of Ohtani in the pitching department over the past few years, so how he gets used by Japan during the WBC will be worth keeping tabs on. Considering how important he is to his team, though, chances are Japan will look to get everything it can from Ohtani in an effort to win this tournament.
As for the Dodgers, they will be anxiously awaiting Ohtani’s return, with the hope being that he doesn’t pick up any sort of injuries or ailments along the way. The best thing they can do is make sure Ohtani is ready to go for the WBC, so it will be worth keeping tabs on his play over the next few days in the team’s Cactus League action before he departs for the tournament.
Dodgers Get Shohei Ohtani News Ahead of First Cactus League Games