Baseball: Shohei Ohtani announces he will play for Japan at 2026 WBC

LOS ANGELES, Nov 25 (Kyodo/APP): Los Angeles Dodgers two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani announced Monday he will play for defending champion Japan at the 2026 World Baseball Classic in March.

The four-time Major League Baseball MVP made the announcement in an Instagram post including photos of Samurai Japan’s 2023 WBC triumph and a promotional image for the upcoming tournament showing Ohtani in the national team uniform.

“I am happy to be able to represent Japan again,” Ohtani wrote.

Ohtani made his WBC debut in 2023 and was named MVP of the tournament for his impact on the mound and at the plate.

Japan will open its WBC campaign against Group C opponent Taiwan at Tokyo Dome on March 6. The quarterfinals onward will be staged in the United States, with the final at Miami’s loanDepot park on March 17.

Ohtani on Nov. 14 was named National League MVP, winning the fourth unanimous MVP Award of his MLB career, after a stellar season culminating in back-to-back World Series championships for the Dodgers.

The 31-year-old told reporters at the time that he was “waiting for word” about whether he would be able to play at the WBC, indicating Samurai Japan officials were still in talks with the Dodgers regarding his participation.

Some MLB clubs have been reluctant to allow players to take part in previous editions of the WBC because of the risk of injury.

Speaking at an event in Tokyo last week, Los Angeles manager Dave Roberts said Ohtani, as well as Dodgers teammates Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki, could decide for themselves whether to play for Japan.