Shohei Ohtani is expected to see limited game action with the Los Angeles Dodgers in Cactus League play before departing to represent Japan in the World Baseball Classic.
According to the team’s current plans, Ohtani is scheduled to appear in a couple of spring training games in Arizona. The brief stint is designed to give him some early, controlled game repetitions with his new club ahead of the international tournament.
The Dodgers are entering their first season with Ohtani after signing the two-way star in a landmark move that reshaped the top of their lineup. His early Cactus League outings will offer the organization and fans an initial look at how he fits into Los Angeles’ on-field plans while also allowing him to fine-tune his timing at the plate before joining the Japanese national team.
Spring training contests in the Cactus League typically serve as an environment for players to build up gradually, and that approach appears to be guiding the Dodgers’ handling of Ohtani. Limiting him to a small number of games before his World Baseball Classic commitment helps balance his workload between club and country at a time of year when most players are still ramping up.
For Japan, Ohtani remains one of the central figures on a roster that will again carry high expectations on the international stage. His scheduled appearances with the Dodgers prior to joining Team Japan should give him an opportunity to sharpen his swing and game rhythm in advance of facing top-level competition in the tournament.
The Dodgers, meanwhile, gain an early chance to integrate one of the sport’s most prominent stars into their spring routine, even if only for a brief window before he shifts his focus to national team duties. While the team has outlined only a couple of Cactus League games for Ohtani before the World Baseball Classic, those outings mark the opening steps of his tenure in Los Angeles and his preparations for a busy season ahead.
