Dodgers News: As Ohtani Departs for Team Japan, Dodgers Set Clear Path for His Spring Pitching Progression
Mark Prior emphasizes a carefully monitored pitching schedule as Ohtani ramps up while competing for Team Japan.
GLENDALE, AZ—The Los Angeles Dodgers officially kicked off Spring Training for the 2026 season with Game No. 1 in Cactus League play on Saturday versus the Los Angeles Angels, and two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani also made his season debut.
Overall, Ohtani wants 1-for-3 at the plate, getting all three of his at-bats before the end of the second inning as the Dodgers pummeled the Angels with a 15-2 final score, scoring six runs in the 2nd inning alone.
However, Ohtani was noticeably absent from the Dodgers lineup for Game Two of Cactus League play, which was planned as the four-time MVP was set to throw a live bullpen, along with taking a few live at-bats.
Overall, it was a 33-pitch bullpen session for Ohtani at Camelback Ranch, the second time this spring he had accomplished the feat, and while the two-inning outing included a couple of hard line drive hits, he also induced strikeouts of Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman.
However, after today’s win over the Friars, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts confirmed that Ohtani would depart for Team Japan tonight or early tomorrow morning to prepare for the 2026 World Baseball Classic, which begs the question many wondered at the start of camp: how will Ohtani continue his build-up there?
Well, according to Dodgers pitching coach Mark Prior, in an interview with Jack Harris of the California Post, the team has laid out a plan with Ohtani to throw two more live bullpen sessions on off days during the WBC, but admitted that, due to scheduling, that could be challenging.
“We’ve talked about it, had conversations with him, and kind of mapped out some tentative schedules,” Prior said. “A lot of it will depend, as usual with him, on where he’s at, what are the logistics of everything (during the WBC) … But if we can get two more outings out of him, of him facing hitters, that would be ideal.”
Still, the Dodgers expect Ohtani to be fully built up come the start of the regular season, per President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman last week, and he could appear in the final two games of spring during the Freeway series.
Admittedly, everything in Ohtani’s build-up as a starting pitcher has gone according to plan, as this is shockingly the first offseason where Ohtani was fully healthy with Tommy John and shoulder surgery behind him.
Still, as reported and confirmed shortly before the Dodgers reported to camp, Ohtani is not set to pitch for Team Japan as he did during the 2023 WBC; he’ll just be the full-time designated hitter.
Joining him soon in his trip to Team Japan will be right-hander and 2025 World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who is set for one final start against the San Francisco Giants on Friday.
Pool play for the WBC begins on March 5th, and if Team Japan advances to the final, that game is scheduled for March 17th.
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