Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani set to play a couple of Cactus League games before joining Japan for WBC

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GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Shohei Ohtani is scheduled to play a couple of Cactus League games for the two-time defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers before he departs the desert to join Japan for the World Baseball Classic.

He was in the lineup leading off as designated hitter scheduled for two or three at-bats for the club's spring training opener Saturday afternoon against the Angels at Tempe Diablo Stadium.

“Sometimes he takes two and he feels good or he wants that third at-bat,” manager Dave Roberts said.

When asked about Ohtani's travel plans, Roberts smiled and said, “I promised I'd try.”

Ohtani is scheduled to pitch against live hitting Sunday — and Roberts has already said the 31-year-old two-way star should be in the Cy Young Award conversation this season.

“I know that it's going to be soon. He's going to play in a couple Cactus League games, but I'm not exactly sure when his plane ticket is. He hasn't said," Roberts said. “So I don't know what day he's going to join Team Japan.”

In addition, right-hander and reigning World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto was starting on the mound to pitch two innings and around 35 pitches for his lone outing for the Dodgers before he also joins the Japanese team for the WBC.

“Obviously him going and pitching for Team Japan, he's going to be kind of trying to ramp it up and get prepared so I think it's just more of what he does strike one, use his secondaries and be efficient and get some outs,” Roberts said.

Once Yamamoto returns to Los Angeles' camp, he will be scheduled for around four innings and 60 pitches initially, according to Roberts.

The 27-year-old Yamamoto, who signed a $325 million, 12-year contract in December 2023, went 3-0 with a 1.09 ERA in the Dodgers' seven-game World Series against the Toronto Blue Jays — so his workload after that outstanding October is something the Dodgers will monitor closely.

“I think it’s up to all of us to be mindful of workloads and short term, long term and all of that stuff, which we are,” Roberts said.

During his remarkable World Series, Yamamoto struck out 15 and walked two over 17 2/3 innings, allowing two runs and 10 hits. He and Randy Johnson are the only pitchers since 1969 to win three games in one World Series.

“I think I'm confident because there's no exact science on ramping up early and success,” Roberts said. “Or being methodical and not participating to result in success during the season. There's just no exact science. I think for me and for all of us you're just believing in the player, knowing that he knows what it takes to get ready for a season and he takes care of himself. So I think for me it's an easy way to kind of think and wrap my head around just kind of believing in him, trusting him."

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