Angels RHP Shohei Ohtani Not Expected to Pitch in WBC Final Against USA if Japan Advances
The World Baseball Classic is heating up right now as the semifinals are just kicking off and we will soon find out which two countries will be facing off in the championship on Tuesday, March 21. Team USA is already a lock to make it and Japan and Mexico are currently battling to see who will advance.
However, if Japan does come out on top and get one step closer to raising the trophy, they already know not to expect Shohei Ohtani to take the mound in the first inning for them. Despite his excellence at the position for them so far, they do not want to take any risks.
This news was first reported by USA Today's Bob Nightengale.
"Shohei Ohtani likely will not pitch if Japan advances to the finals vs USA, but it’s not 100% ruled out, Japanese officials say."
(Via Bob Nightengale)
Many baseball fans have been quite disappointed as they want to see Ohtani try and strike out his Angels' superstar teammate, Mike Trout, en route to a potential title. However, there is a ton of controversy surrounding the WBC right now due to some serious injuries taking place.
Even though numerous players have stepped forward and said they're willing to take on the risk of injuries in order to represent their country, there is still always the fear of Ohtani getting hurt right before the season starts.
We have seen how much the fans have loved watching the 28-year-old phenom lead them to greatness and Ohtani has loved taking the field for them. He has teased the idea of possibly serving as a relief if they need him so we shall see.
