The decision is partly a matter of comfort, with Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto accustomed to pitching essentially once a week dating back to their time in Japan. It also factored prominently, the Dodgers believe, into their ability to land phenom Roki Sasaki this winter — like his countrymen, Sasaki is used to pitching on a once-per-week schedule.

Even in an MVP campaign, Shohei Ohtani didn't handle his usual workload in 2024 A shoulder injury kept Ohtani away from the pitcher's mound in his first season of a 10-year deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Dave Roberts and Freddie Freeman are confident Shohei Ohtani is capable of reprising his MVP season despite undergoing shoulder surgery in the offseason.