GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) \u2014 Shohei Ohtani is a five-time All-Star, a four-time Most Valuable Player, a two-time World Series winner and a World Baseball Classic champion, giving him a sparkling baseball resume that no current player can touch. <\/p>\n
The only major honor he hasn’t won? A Cy Young Award.<\/p>\n
Given his track record, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the two-way Japanese star<\/a> add that trophy to his collection in 2026.<\/p>\n \u201cI think it\u2019s fair to say he expects to be in the Cy Young conversation,\u201d Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Friday. “We just want him to be healthy, make starts, and all the numbers and statistics will take care of themselves. <\/p>\n \u201cBut, man, this guy is such a disciplined worker and expects the most from himself.\u201d<\/p>\n Just 105 days after the Dodgers became MLB’s first back-to-back champs in a quarter century \u2014 beating the Toronto Blue Jays in a thrilling Game 7<\/a> \u2014 Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and the rest of the team’s pitchers and catchers went through their first spring training workout at Camelback Ranch on Friday.<\/p>\n Ohtani is expecting to be a full-time, two-way player for the first time since 2023. An elbow injury kept him off the mound for the 2024 season and he returned to pitching midway though last year, going 3-0 with a 4.43 ERA in the postseason to help the Dodgers capture their second straight World Series title.<\/p>\n Roberts said an injury-free offseason \u2014 where he could focus on rest, recovery and strength \u2014 should make him even more formidable on the mound this season.<\/p>\n \u201cHe just looks strong, but not too much mass,\u201d Roberts said. \u201cWatching him throw, watching him run, his body is moving well. I think he’s in a sweet spot.\u201d<\/p>\n The 31-year-old Ohtani munched on breakfast and laughed with teammates in the clubhouse before his bullpen session, fully comfortable in what are now familiar surroundings. He’s entering his third season with the franchise that has helped him blossom into the biggest baseball phenomenon in decades.<\/p>\n \u201cI was finally able to have a normal offseason,\u201d Ohtani said. \u201cAlthough the offseason was pretty short, I thought it was a good thing.\u201d<\/p>\n Ohtani said he arrived at Camelback Ranch at the beginning of the month and Friday’s bullpen \u2014 which he said went well \u2014 was his third of the spring. The goal is to throw live batting practice next week before he leaves to join Team Japan in Tokyo, where it will be playing in the World Baseball Classic.<\/p>\n He won’t be pitching for Japan in the WBC \u2014 focusing solely on his work at the plate.<\/p>\n Roberts said keeping Ohtani off the mound in the WBC was a collaborative decision that focused on his long-term health.<\/p>\n \u201cAs much as people think that he\u2019s not human, he\u2019s still a human being who has had two major surgeries,\u201d Roberts said. \u201cHe\u2019s got a long career ahead of him.\u201d<\/p>\n The timeline and schedule of the WBC \u2014 Team Japan could be playing from March 6-17 on two different continents \u2014 makes Ohtani’s preparation for the Dodgers’ opening day game against the Arizona Diamondbacks on March 26 a challenge. Neither Roberts or Ohtani were sure what his throwing schedule would look like in Japan.<\/p>\n Roberts said he’s sure Ohtani will want to be ready to pitch at the beginning of the season, but the team would be flexible.<\/p>\n \u201cIt’s delicate,\u201d Roberts said. \u201cWe’ll know more in the next couple weeks and see where the progression is at. But for us, there’s not going to be any timeline or endline or finish line where he has to be ready.\u201d<\/p>\n The Dodgers enter the season as World Series favorites. They were big spenders on the free agent market once again, landing four-time All-Star outfielder Kyle Tucker on a $240 million, four-year deal<\/a> that further exacerbated the divide between baseball’s haves and have nots. Los Angeles also nabbed star reliever Edwin D\u00edaz on a $69 million, three-year deal<\/a>.<\/p>\n D\u00edaz also threw a bullpen on Friday. He had a 1.63 ERA and 28 saves for the New York Mets last season.<\/p>\n \u201cGuys are anxious,\u201d Roberts said. \u201cWe’ve got a long camp, longer than we’ve had in recent years. We’re trying to get guys to start slow and be intentional and methodical. That’s kind of the message.\u201d<\/p>\n ___<\/p>\n