Samurai Japan announced their roster for the 2026 World Baseball Classic, which includes Los Angeles Dodgers teammates Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
Ohtani previously announced that he would return to Team Japan for the international tournament, but Yamamoto’s availability had been in question due to his heavy workload this past season.
Yamamoto logged a combined 211 innings over 36 appearances (35 starts) between the regular season and playoffs, all of which represented career highs. He also famously pitched on back-to-back days in Games 6 and 7 of the World Series.
“Wearing a Japanese uniform once again fills me with a deep sense of pride and responsibility,” Yamamoto said in a statement.
“I’ve trained hard this offseason to be in the best possible condition for the WBC. Together, with great teammates and a dependable coaching staff, we’ll unite as one and aim for the top.”
Yamamoto previously pitched for Team Japan in the 2023 WBC and allowed two runs over 7.1 innings, striking out 12 of his 27 batters faced. He was still playing for the Orix Buffaloes at the time but offered a glimpse of how good he could be in the Majors.
Yamamoto and Ohtani are expected to join Samurai Japan for exhibition games against the Chunichi Dragons in Nagoya from Feb. 27-28.
Team Japan is part of Pool C in the 2026 WBC, with tournament games beginning on March 6. The country is looking to defend its title after defeating the United States in the 2023 championship game.
Is Roki Sasaki playing for Team Japan in 2026 World Baseball Classic?
As expected, Roki Sasaki was not included on Team Japan’s roster for the 2026 WBC. A previous report suggested the Dodgers elected to prevent Sasaki from participating after he missed a substantial amount of the 2025 season with a right shoulder injury.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts acknowledged the team held some reservations over the possibility of Ohtani, Yamamoto and Sasaki playing in the World Baseball Classic but noted the organization would be supportive nevertheless.
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