Although Roberts said the team “absoluteOhtani could have helped as a pitcher in the tournament if he wanted to (per Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register), recent developments surrounding WBC insurance may have thrown a wrench into the situation. Evan Drellich of The Athletic noticed Ohtani was unlikely to be covered as a pitcher, meaning he couldn’t have pitched in the WBC regardless of his personal preference. The insurance issues have led to Team Puerto Rico considering removing itself from the event.
Ohtani will still be part of Team Japan as a DH. Fabian Ardaya from The Athletic said the judge said he would be ready to pitch to open the regular season. Ohtani didn’t pitch at all in 2024 as he recovered from elbow surgery. A shoulder procedure at the end of that season kept him off the mound until June of last year. Ohtani made 14 starts for the Dodgers in 2025. He posted a 2.87 ERA over 47 innings. Ohtani wasn’t as dominant in the playoffs, although he threw six innings in three of his four appearances, something he only did once in the regular season.
Health is often the main question mark in LA’s rotation Blake Snell is taking steps to ensure he feels good in 2026. The talented left-hander told reporters: including Ardayathat he’s taking a more deliberate approach to building strength this offseason. “Last year I was in a hurrySnell said. ‘I really wanted to pitch.”
After signing a massive five-year deal worth $182 million, Snell was diagnosed with shoulder inflammation just two starts into his Dodgers tenure. He posted eight walks to just four strikeouts in those two games. “I just never felt great, never felt what is (is) normal. I’ve felt it my entire careerSnell said. He returned in August and looked like himself, piling up strikeouts and keeping opposing offenses off the board. The southpaw limited the Reds, Phillies and Brewers to two earned runs over 21 innings in the playoffs. The Blue Jays tagged him for 10 earned runs over three appearances, but Snell’s final postseason line still looks solid.
Even with the slower build-up, “the plan” is that Snell is ready for Opening Day, per Sonja Chen of MLB.com. If Snell is not ready by the end of March, Roki Sasaki And Emmet Sheehan would probably fill out a rotation. The Dodgers can easily count on more than five starters anyway, given their injury history and the heavy workload of their nuclear weapons. As Ardaya notes, the starters played 137 1/3 of 165 innings during the 2025 playoff run.
Tommy Edman The gradual approach will also follow this season. The 30-year-old is recovering from ankle surgery. The procedure involved repair of ligaments and removal of bone spurs, Ardaya notes. Edman said the issues affected him as a base runner and as a defenseman bouncing between second base and center field. Like Snell, his status for Opening Day is uncertain.
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