MIAMI -- Shohei Ohtani is busy leading the way for the Japanese lineup at the World Baseball Classic -- but the two-way superstar is also getting ready for the 2026 MLB season as a pitcher.
Ohtani threw a four-inning live batting practice session against Samurai Japan hitters at loanDepot park on Thursday during the team's workout day ahead of its Classic quarterfinal matchup against Venezuela (Saturday, 9 p.m. ET, FOX).
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Ohtani threw 59 pitches and faced 18 hitters. He had seven strikeouts.
The session was part of Ohtani's process to be ready to pitch for the Dodgers when their regular season starts on March 26, even though he's away from Spring Training for the Classic.
"I've been proceeding with my own adjustments as a pitcher in parallel with the tournament," Ohtani said in Japanese after the session. "I think it produced good results in both volume and quality. So I feel that I'm preparing well for the new season."
Ohtani is only hitting, not pitching, at this year's Classic.
Ohtani of course pitched and hit in the last WBC, in 2023, when he struck out then-Angels teammate Mike Trout to win the championship game for Japan against Team USA.
But with Ohtani returning from elbow surgery during the 2025 season and then pitching through a long postseason run for the Dodgers, he's proceeding with caution entering his first full two-way season for L.A.
That means not pitching in the high-intensity World Baseball Classic games.
Ohtani's plans have not changed, even as Japan has advanced to the knockout rounds of the 2026 Classic. Throwing live BP at the tournament is to prepare for the Dodgers, not prepare for a Classic start. Ohtani reiterated on Thursday that he still will not be pitching at this year's tournament.
"As of now, playing as a pitcher in the WBC is not happening," Ohtani said. "That is also a promise made with the [Dodgers], and there's a part of it that feels like it's about showing sincerity toward the organization that willingly sent me off. I think it's best to first contribute solidly on the offensive side."
The only thing that could potentially change that calculus, Ohtani explained, would be an unforeseen rash of injuries to the Japanese pitching staff.
"Saying the possibility of pitching is absolutely zero is not something I want to say about anything," Ohtani said. "But under the current circumstances, I don't think it will happen."
Ohtani made 14 starts for the Dodgers in the regular season, and four more in the postseason, after his return to pitching last June 16. He pitched a total of 67 1/3 innings with a 3.34 ERA and 90 strikeouts.
Ohtani said that he and the Dodgers are in agreement about him not pitching in the 2026 Classic, and he has no regrets about that. He had multiple meetings with the team ahead of the World Baseball Classic with the specific intent of getting on the same page about his usage plan.
"I have no feelings of dissatisfaction regarding not being able to pitch in the WBC," Ohtani said. "I want to do the job that I can do. Even without me pitching, Team Japan has wonderful pitchers. We've already seen that in the Tokyo round, and I personally have a lot of confidence in that.
"Being able to show the other countries that there are wonderful pitchers among the young [Japanese] players is also something I am personally very much looking forward to."