Shohei Ohtani’s hunt to help Team Japan win its second straight World Baseball Classic is officially underway.
The Dodgers superstar formally joined his Japanese teammates on the field at Vantelin Dome Nagoya on Thursday — just days after he left Los Angeles at its spring training workouts in Arizona.
While Ohtani is not expected to pitch in the tournament, which kicks off next week, he was nonetheless seen warming up his throwing arm in the outfield.
Wearing a blue and red No. 16 jersey, he was also spotted loosening up with bands and enjoying the company of some of his closest baseball pals on the diamond.
Team Japan is considered one of the favorites to win the WBC, as its lineup not only includes Ohtani, but also Red Sox outfielder Masataka Yoshida and Cubs star Seiya Suzuki.
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It’s pitching staff, meanwhile, features Dodgers ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Angels lefty Yusei Kikuchi.
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Team Japan — which took down the United States to win the WBC title in 2023 — will open up play in this year’s iteration of the tournament on March 6 in Tokyo in a game against Chinese Taipei.
As for Team USA, whose roster includes Othani’s friends Clayton Kershaw and Will Smith, it kicks off its WBC schedule on March 6 against Brazil in Houston.
