As Ohtani leaves camp, Dodgers trust him to balance pitching ramp-up, Classic

PEORIA, Ariz. -- A wry smile settled on Shohei Ohtani's face as the two-way superstar considered the following scenario.

Bottom of the ninth inning. Championship game of the World Baseball Classic. A rematch between Samurai Japan and Team USA.

Could Ohtani stop himself from volunteering to take the mound in that situation, even though he and the Dodgers have decided that he will exclusively hit in the tournament?

"Hard to say it," Ohtani said Sunday through interpreter Will Ireton, "but if [Mike] Trout shows up, it's tempting."

Trout won’t be suiting up for Team USA this time around, but Ohtani has been in that situation. He was on the mound to close out the title game of the 2023 Classic, and he struck out his then-Angels teammate for the thrilling final out to cap an all-around electric tournament.

Ohtani was serving his full two-way duties during that Classic, when Japan won it for the third time. Heading into his first full year as a two-way player with the Dodgers, Ohtani has been ramping up normally as a hitter and as a pitcher this spring -- but the team remains mindful of building him up the right way, which is why he will not pitch for Japan.

"Just coming off the surgery, coming off the year he had, pitching through October, just the quick turnaround at that kind of intensity coming off surgery," president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said earlier in spring. "And then obviously, we have designs of playing through October this year, and Shohei being a big part of that on the mound. That, coupled with the idea that he wants to pitch for the next eight years, we want him to pitch for the next eight years, just trying to be really mindful of all of that.

"And so we sat down, had the conversation with him. He understood it. The competitor in him doesn't love it, but he understood it."

Last spring, the Dodgers created some separation in between Ohtani's dual workloads as he finished his rehab from a second major surgery on his right elbow. He would have lighter hitting workouts on the days he threw bullpen sessions, and the team paused his throwing progression altogether during the season-opening Tokyo Series.

Separating his workloads isn't an option this year, when Ohtani is slated to begin the season in the Dodgers' rotation despite expecting to be away from the team for the majority of Spring Training. That's led to days like Sunday -- his final day in camp before departing for the Classic, according to manager Dave Roberts -- when he faced hitters for two simulated innings, then took batting practice himself afterward.

He'll have to maintain a similar balance while he continues to build up his arm while with Samurai Japan. Ohtani said he expects to throw live batting practice or simulated games during the Classic, but he and the coaching staff are continuing to hammer out the details on how he will be game-ready as a pitcher come Opening Day.

"I’ll do everything in my power to make sure the quality and the volume are in a good place," Ohtani said. "With the limited opportunities I do have, being in a live situation, I just have to do the best I can in those situations."

Last year's rehab may serve as a reassuring point of reference for the Dodgers. Ohtani went through an extended bullpen progression during the first two months of the regular season, but he only faced live hitters three times before getting into Major League games. The team would prefer not to have him go through the same incremental buildup at the big league level, but Ohtani having done it in the past can help to inform the process going forward.

And then there is the temptation aspect when Ohtani is actually playing in the Classic. Mutual understanding between Ohtani and the Dodgers is the foundation of how he's deployed as a two-way player, and the team trusts that he will keep both his and L.A.'s best interests at heart.

It's similar to the balance that the Dodgers are striking with Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who will be Samurai Japan's ace in the Classic. They want him to be able to represent his country with his best stuff -- while ensuring that he will have enough left in the tank for another deep postseason run.

"I think it's up to all of us to be mindful of workloads and short-term, long-term, and all that stuff, which we are," manager Dave Roberts said. "As a player, you just want to encourage guys to be prepared and go compete your tail off."