Category: Baseball

PHOENIX — Shohei Ohtani wants to win the World Series.

Again.

He wants to win the World Baseball Classic.

Again.

He also wants to win his first Cy Young Award.

And then do it again.

Ohtani was unusually open on Friday, the ordinarily guarded two-way star revealing his goals and offering insights into his mindset after throwing a 27-pitch bullpen session in the Dodgers’ first workout of the spring for pitchers and catchers.

What Ohtani said confirmed the depths of ambition long described by those close to him.

Ohtani, 31, has won four MVP awards, two World Series and a WBC, but he said he wants more. And more. And more.

“I think that when you’re satisfied, it’s time to finish,” Ohtani said in Japanese. “I don’t feel that way at this point. The opposite way of saying it is that I think I should quit when I do.”

There aren’t many unchecked boxes in his career to-do list, but he said there’s value in checking the same box multiple times.

“Whether it’s winning the World Series or winning the WBC or being the MVP there, it’s not enough to do it once,” Ohtani said. “When you continue to do that, I think that’s when you’re viewed as a first-class player for the first time. Doing it twice is better than doing it once, and doing it three times is better than doing it twice.”

Nevermind that Ohtani proved he was a first-class player five years ago when he won his first MVP award with the Angels. He has already been at Camelback Ranch for close to two weeks. The bullpen session he threw on Friday was his third of the spring.

When manager Dave Roberts said a couple of weeks ago that Ohtani would focus on hitting and not pitch for Japan in the WBC, I wrote that it was a sign that he might have his eyes set on a Cy Young Award.

Ohtani basically said as much on this day.

“If I can get it,” he said, “I think that would be wonderful.”

Makes sense. Why else would a legacy-driven player such as Ohtani sacrifice potential glory in an event considered more prestigious than the World Series in his home country?

Ohtani said of the Cy Young Award, “To just be close would mean I’m pitching the required number of innings. I think the most important thing I have to do is to take my turns in the rotation for an entire year.”

The health of his arm figures to be front and center for Ohtani, who is very much aware that a third elbow operation could turn him into a full-time designated hitter.

“He’s gone through a lot of things,” Roberts said. “As much as people think that he’s not human, he’s still a human being that’s had two major surgeries. He’s got a long career ahead of him.”

Ohtani is under contract for eight more seasons. He underwent his second Tommy John surgery in 2023, his final year with the Angels. He returned to the mound in the middle of last season and went on to post a 2.84 ERA in 14 starts. He pitched four more games in the postseason.

Roberts was encouraged by what he saw.

“I think the thing that was most surprising from last year was his command,” Roberts said. “I’ll say that he still feels his command wasn’t up to par. But given the Tommy John and what typically command looks like the year after, it was above that. That was impressive. Just his ability to command a couple of different breaking balls, to change the shape of his breaking balls, was pretty impressive.”

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Ohtani sounded at peace with the decision to not pitch in the WBC, which he said was made jointly with the team.  

“Last year, I only pitched in the second half (of the season),” Ohtani said. “Timing-wise, if this came after pitching an entire season, I think the overall approach would’ve been different. Right now, at this stage, honestly, I’m satisfied with the feeling that it would be difficult.”

While Ohtani said he was relieved to finally have a normal offseason — he spent his two previous winters recovering from elbow and shoulder operations, respectively — he said he knew he would have to advance as a player to reach his latest round of goals. Pitching and hitting in the postseason, he acknowledged, was extremely demanding.

“Two years ago, I played as a DH, but it was a different feeling from last year,” he said. “It felt like a different task.”

So he continues to build up his pitching arm. He said he wants to pitch to batters next week.

Because after the WBC, he wants to be in position to do more. And more. And more.

TAMPA — Whenever Gerrit Cole returns to the big league mound, he plans to do so with a slightly tweaked windup.

During his first bullpen session of spring training Friday, Cole unveiled a new delivery in which he raises his hands over his head instead of keeping them by his belt or chest, as he previously did before undergoing Tommy John surgery last March.

“Just felt good,” Cole said of the change. “Throwing on the back fields during the summer and tried it out. I’ve had little idiosyncrasies that have changed over the years from still hands to a drop or hands off the body, close to the body. I think I generally just like the rhythm of it.”

Cole has long been known for his simple and repeatable delivery, which played a hand in the right-hander maintaining good health before finally needing elbow surgery last year.

But the 35-year-old still made the new-look windup look smooth Friday.

“When I think of Gerrit and his greatness, a lot of it ties to … his delivery is just so outstanding,” manager Aaron Boone said. “That’s [still] the case. Everything looks like it’s coming out free and easy, command. He looks to be in a really good place.

Gerrit Cole throws his first bullpen session in Spring Training. pic.twitter.com/nf7E8RxuLg

— New York Post Sports (@nypostsports) February 13, 2026

“I’ve been saying it around here today after seeing it, that diver that dives off the high board and just goes in the water and makes no splash — that’s Gerrit on the mound. He’s just really efficient.”

The Yankees officially invited veteran reliever Rafael Montero to big league camp Friday after signing him to a minor league deal to join their bullpen competition.

The 35-year-old posted a 4.48 ERA in 59 games last season, but he finished strong with a 2.86 ERA in 20 games with the Tigers down the stretch.

“There’s some things we really like that he was doing last year,” Boone said. “Maybe some small adjustments we can make to help him. Hopefully, he can push himself into the mix.”

Cam Schlittler played catch again Friday, as the Yankees have him continuing to throw on flat ground as he deals with mid-back/left lat inflammation.

“I haven’t got the end-of-day report on him yet but he kind of brushes it off, like, ‘No biggie,’ ” Boone said. “Hopefully this is something that just slowing him down serves him well in the total buildup — I think it will. We’ll see how the next day or two unfolds to see when he gets back on the mound. But hopefully pretty quick.”

Relievers David Bednar, Fernando Cruz, Jake Bird and Brent Headrick each threw an inning of live batting practice Friday afternoon.

The Cubs have reportedly agreed to a two-year deal with veteran right-handed reliever Shelby Miller.Fansided’s Robert Murray was reportedly first with the news.

Miller, 35, pitched quite effectively last year with the Diamondbacks, posting a 1.98 ERA and ten saves in 37 games before he was traded to the Brewers at the trade deadline, even though he was on the injured list at the time with a right-forearm strain. He returned from the IL in early August and mostly pitched well until a game on September 1 when Miller felt a “pop” in elbow. That turned out to be a torn ulnar collateral ligament, which lead to his second Tommy John surgery. Miller is expected to miss all of 2026 and return in 2027, so this two-year deal is really a deal for 2027 for the Cubs.

Miller is an 11-year veteran who has pitched for ten teams, including the Cubs in 2021. He signed with the Cubs in Spring Training in 2021 and made three mostly-poor relief appearances until he went on the injured list with a back injury. The Cubs released him in May of that year when it was time for him to come off the injured list. Since then, Miller has bounced around with good seasons with the Dodgers in 2023 and Arizona last year and a poor season with the Tigers in 2024.

Miller began his career as starter in the Cardinals system and was traded to Atlanta as part of a package for Jason Heyward in 2014. In 2015, Atlanta dealt Miller to Arizona as part of a package for Dansby Swanson. Miller has also pitched for the Rangers and Pirates. He has not started a game since 2019.

It’s Friday the 13th, folks. If you aren’t into slasher flicks or the Winter Olympics, then hello! Welcome! You’re one of us! Let’s talk baseball!

Tomorrow is the day of love, so they say. And to carry that theme, here’s Chris Sale talking about how he wants to retire as an Atlanta Braves player.

Would you like to see him retire in an Atlanta uniform?

Sound off below!

Dylan Ray might be ahead only of Jose Fernandez, in terms of being the least well-known player on the 40-man roster. Ray was a fourth-round pick in 2022, after barely thirty collegiate innings, and it has been an up-and-down struggle since. Of the four “real” levels at which he has played, High-A ball is the only one where his ERA has been below five. To be fair, pitching in Amarillo or Reno is going to play hell with any prospect’s raw numbers, and last year, he did well in Amarillo. He posted a 3.93 ERA across his ten starts at the Double-A level, which is more than an entire run better than the Sod Poodles’ collective figure. It was also an improvement on his 5.22 in sixteen starts there during 2024.

What’s interesting – and a little odd – is, Ray has managed to reach the cusp of the major leagues without anyone particularly noticing. In terms of written material, for example, I found an interview Michael did with him for the SnakePit in October 2024, when Ray was appearing in the Arizona Fall League. Jack spoke to him last spring, after he was given the ball to start the Spring Breakout game against the Royals, and Ray addressed the perils of high-offense environments: “I’ll look back at it not from a results oriented standpoint, but more process oriented. Did I execute the pitch, throw it where I wanted it to go. The results take care of themselves at the end of the day.”

Since that? A video interview (below) from the Aces on the dreaded Ticky-Tac, just after Dylan had made his first start for Reno, after his promotion from Amarillo. That came on the heels of him being named the organization’s minor-league pitcher of the month for May. He went a perfect 5-0 across five starts with the Sod Poodles, pitching to a 2.03 ERA and holding batters to a .168 average, with a stellar K:BB ratio of 35:3 across 31 innings. Reno proved a rough awakening, as his ERA was a hair above seven across his first ten starts for the Aces. His strikeouts and walks both went in the wrong direction (38:24 in 52.2 IP).

But Dylan was able to put together a good string out outings in August, with a 3.81 ERA and 22:8 K:BB over 26 innings. That included 5.1 shutout innings in Reno against Sacramento, a game where he struck out nine, matching a career high. While he may have run out of gas down the stretch – he faced only four batters in his last start of 2025 – Ray had still done enough to convince the D-backs he needed protecting from the Rule 5 draft. They duly added him to the 40-man roster in December, when other, higher-profile names like Christian Montes De Oca, A.J. Vukovich, and Kristian Robinson were left eligible.

It was something of a surprise, given he wasn’t particularly highly-ranked as a prospect in the Arizona system. A few days after the Rule 5 draft, Ray was only ranked #45 in Fangraphs’ list of our top prospects, though Prospects 1500 had him just inside the top thirty. The former’s write-up suggested he might be better off converted to a reliever. “He’s velocity sensitive — everything plays fine at the very top of his velo band, but he gets hit when he dips — and in my looks his gas has tended to tail off throughout his outing. It’s worth seeing if Ray can add velo and maybe turn his above-average slider into a plus hammer in short stints.”

The manner of that final departure – Ray left the mound with a trainer, his velocity being sharply down – does give some pause for concern. I haven’t found any indications of an injury being involved, but as the case of Andrew Saalfrank showed, we are often the last to hear about these things. Fingers crossed it was simply fatigue rather than anything more meaningful. Ray’s subsequent addition to the roster is a hopeful sign, though the situation with Rule 5 picks and the IL is a murky one. [If they aren’t active for 90 days, the roster restriction carries forward to the next year] Hopefully, we’ll see him in spring, and any concerns about his health can be put to rest.

PHOENIX — Fans lined up and raced around the back fields at the Los Angeles Dodgers spring-training complex Friday, shrieking at the sight of him.

Photographers lugged their equipment around the complex, scurrying to see where he was going to go next.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts spent his media session talking about him more than anyone.

It was Day 1 of the Dodgers spring training camp, and once again, all the buzz was about Shohei Ohtani.

When will he pitch in spring training? When is he leaving for the World Baseball Classic? Are you sure he won’t pitch in the WBC? How can he prepare to pitch while he’s with Team Japan for three weeks? Will he continue to bat leadoff on the days he starts for the Dodgers? How often will he pitch this season? Is he the opening day starter?

So many questions, so few answers.

Yep, just like ol’ times.

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The difference this year is that there will be no limitations on Ohtani. He is fully healthy after undergoing two Tommy John surgeries. He had a completely normal offseason where he was able to pitch, as well as hit. And he feels as strong as he ever has in his spectacular career.

“I think it’s fair to say he expects to be in the Cy Young conversation,’’ Roberts said, “but we just want him to be healthy, make starts, and all of the numbers and statistics will take care of themselves. But man, this guy is such a disciplined worker and expects the most from himself. …

“Regardless of my expectations for him, his are going to exceed those.’’

Yes, when you’re the winner of four unanimous MVP awards − including three in a row − win two World Series championships, and are the only player to hit 50 homers and steal 50 bases in the same season, why not try to check off the final box on the Hall of Fame resume?

Cy Young award, anyone?

“If the end result is getting a Cy Young, that’s great,’’ Ohtani said. “Getting a Cy Young means being able to throw more innings and being able to pitch throughout the whole season. So, if that’s the end result, that’s a good sign for me. What I’m more focused on is just being healthy the whole year.’’

Today’s Question of the day comes from yesterday’s Moose Tracks via poster Tuojiangoland:

Never has the best answer ever been a more “EVERYONE!!!” answer than right here, but for the sake of conversation, let’s say the Mariners can and will only choose one Mariners starting pitcher to offer a long term contract extension. Who do you most want them to sign of the Big Three? Logan Gilbert offers the longest track record of consistently good results, but perhaps doesn’t have as high a ceiling as the other two. Or maybe we’ve seen his peak/ceiling already? (I don’t think this is true, but some might).

Then there is George Kirby with arguably the best “STUFF,” but with the most ups and downs in consistency. When he’s on, it’s scary as hell for hitters out there, but when something is off, the wheels tend to fall off pretty quickly in an outing for Kirby.

And Bryan Woo entered this convo just this past season after being a large question mark himself in his MLB career prior to 2025 with health concerns hanging over his head. Well, he went ahead and posted career numbers and was the best pitcher on the staff with 4.2 WAR. I recall we had a preseason predictions question about who would have the better season in 2025, Woo or Bryce Miller and I definitely picked wrong. I owe Bryan Woo an apology, I am now familiar with your game.

So, if you can only choose one to extend, who are you choosing?

Give us your reasons in the comments.

PORT ST. LUCIE — Jonah Tong spent last spring training far removed from the spotlight as a Mets pitching prospect.

This spring is different.

Tong, in his first major league camp, is under the scrutiny of team officials any time he picks up a baseball.

And Friday was his first opportunity to face hitters.

Tong threw 36 pitches over two innings of live batting practice, the Mets’ first chance to watch the rookie on the Clover Park mound.

“I really get to appreciate not only the hitters in the box, but also building a relationship with the catchers,” Tong said. “That’s more important this time of the year as we get toward the season.”

In five starts late last season, the 22-year-old Tong pitched to a 7.71 ERA as part of a rookie threesome that also included Nolan McLean and Brandon Sproat.

Tong will likely begin the season at Triple-A Syracuse to receive further reps at that level.

Last season, he was called up to the Mets after only two starts for Syracuse.

Tong dominated in 20 starts for Double-A Binghamton to emerge as one of baseball’s top pitching prospects.

“The mindset stays the same,” Tong said of his spring training this season compared to last. “I am just going out there to have a lot of fun and enjoy these people, and try to learn as much as I possibly can and everything else will just fall as it may.”

Tong said a focus this spring is the continued refinement of his offspeed pitches, including sequencing.

“I want him to enjoy,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “I want him to learn as much as possible from every guy that we have in that room and I want him to go out there and be himself. We know about the fastball and the changeup and he’s working on a cutter. He’s working on his secondary pitches, whether we want to call it a slider, and I want him to go out there and to continue to develop all these pitches, compete and prepare for his year.

“He’s going to pitch for us and we’re going to need him. Learn, have fun and let the rest take care of itself.”

Last July, the A’s made one of the biggest trades of the trade deadline, sending flamethrowing closer Mason Miller to the San Diego Padres in exchange for elite shortstop prospect Leo De Vries and three minor-league pitchers. 

After trading Miller, one of the best closers in the league, many people expected the A’s bullpen to struggle the rest of the season. However, the group of Tyler Ferguson, Justin Sterner, Hogan Harris, Elvis Alvarado, Michael Kelly and Sean Newcomb combined to pitch well in a closer by committee style helping the A’s post a 34-24 record over the season’s final stretch. 

All those players are back with the exception of Newcomb, who signed with the Chicago White Sox in free agency. The A’s strengthened their bullpen this offseason by signing veteran free-agent relievers ScottBarlow and Mark Leiter Jr, two players that have experienced periods of success in their MLB careers. Yet, the club remains without a proven closer entering 2026.

Barlow, who has accumulated 59 saves over his first eight seasons, may be given the first shot as the A’s closer this season, although his tendency to suffer command lapses and walk batters may lead the A’s to consider other options. Last year, he mainly pitched in earlier innings, only tallying one save with the Cincinnati Reds. Likewise for Leiter, who saved two games for the New York Yankees this past season.

As a result, it seems that manager Mark Kotsay may once again go with a closer by committee approach determined by matchups to start the season. For instance, left-hander Harris could pitch the ninth if left-handed hitters are scheduled to hit, while Barlow or Alvarado could enter to deal with dangerous right-handed batters. It also will likely be determined by health and performance, with the A’s likely to stick with a closer if he goes multiple games without blowing leads.

Alternatively, the A’s could hand the closer reins to youngster Jack Perkins, an idea frequently brought up by this community as a way to keep him on the field, increase his effectiveness and manage his workload. Another idea is to employ Luis Medina out of the bullpen late in games once he returns from Tommy John surgery rehab. Medina is out of options and he throws hard, so probably will not clear waivers if the A’s do not have a place for him on the roster.

Who do you think should be the A’s closer this season? Is it someone currently on the team or a free agent that the A’s should sign? Or should they stick with a closer by committee rotation?  Debate and comment below.

The Astros are bringing back a familiar face.

Houston and the Blue Jays struck a deal Friday that will send Jesús Sánchez to Toronto in exchange for Joey Loperfido, the former Astro, per ESPN.

Houston acquired Sánchez last year at the trade deadline from the Marlins for right-handed pitcher Ryan Gusto, infielder Chase Jaworsky and outfielder Esmil Valencia.

However, his stay in Texas won’t even last half a season.

Loperfido, on the other hand, was originally shipped off to Toronto for Yusei Kikuchi in 2024.

Over six MLB seasons split between Miami and Houston, Sánchez has never truly lived up to the hype he had as a prospect.

He topped out at 18 homers and 64 RBIs in 2024 and has never hit a batting average over .260 or an on-base percentage above .330.

He does offer solid defensive abilities in the outfield.

With the Blue Jays — last year’s American League champions — returning George Springer, Nathan Lukas, Addison Barger and Daulton Varsho, he’ll likely play a role off the bench.

He does add a necessary bat after Anthony Santander’s preseason shoulder injury.

Last season, after getting traded to the Astros, Sanchez hit four home runs with 12 RBIs and batted .199.

However, they still decided to sign him to a $6.8 million deal for 2026, all of which Toronto will now pay.

Loperfido has had much less success at the MLB level and may not even make the Astros’ Opening Day roster.

In 104 plate appearances last year, Loperfido slashed .333/.379/.500 with four homers and 14 RBIs.

Those numbers are a bit deceiving, though, considering his 26 percent strikeout rate to measly 3.8 percent walk rate.

Both the Blue Jays and Astros are coming off completely different seasons in 2025.

Toronto made the World Series, taking the Dodgers to Game 7 before ultimately choking away the title in the last inning.

Houston, despite all its dominance in the past decade, missed the playoffs for the first time since 2016.

From 2017-23, the Astros pieced together a seven-year streak of reaching the American League Championship Series before it was snapped in 2024.

It’s unlikely Friday’s trade will have much of an effect on their 2026 campaign.

But maybe it can be a game-changer for the up-and-coming Blue Jays.

Missouri baseball heads into its upcoming series against Mount St. Mary’s with a fairly clear idea of how it wants to line things up, even if nothing is fully set this early in the season. Like most early-season projections, there is some guesswork involved, and what we see this weekend could change once games are played.

There are not all true locks right now, but Missouri appears ready to use this series to establish baseline roles rather than constantly mix and match. The defensive alignment looks mostly settled, with the designated hitter spot offering the most flexibility.

Here is one possible way Missouri could line up for the series, based on current expectations.

C — Mateo Serna

1B — Tyler Macon

2B — Gehrig Goldbeck

3B — Chris Patterson

SS — Kam Durnin

LF — Cameron Benson

CF — Kaden Peer

RF — Pierre Seals

DH — Jase Woita

At first base, Tyler Macon finished last year hitting .272 with a .391 on-base percentage, making him a dependable option near the top or middle of the lineup. In the middle infield, Goldbeck posted a .407 OBP while hitting .248 last season in the DH spot, unable to play defensively due to injury. He offers speed and versatility, even if his offensive production leans more toward contact than power.

Chris Patterson mans the hot corner and showed flashes of power throughout the season. He slugged .393, and while his average sat at .232, his ability to drive the ball with eight doubles gives Missouri some upside at third base. Shortstop Kam Durnin brings experience and stability after transferring in, hitting .251 with 27 RBIs last season and providing solid production while anchoring one of the most important defensive positions on the field.

In the outfield, Cameron Benson impressed in his limited 40 plate appearances, hitting .324 with a .425 on-base percentage and a .529 slugging mark. If he stays healthy, he could be one of the more impactful bats in the lineup. Alongside him, Kaden Peer emerged as one of Missouri’s most complete offensive players, batting .299 with a .411 OBP, adding five home runs and 33 RBIs.

Pierre Seals rounds out the outfield with steady production across the board, hitting .291 with eight home runs and a .446 slugging percentage, giving Missouri a reliable bat from the outfield.

Serving as the designated hitter, Jase Woita adds middle-of-the-order pop. He hit .300 with a .394 on-base percentage and a .508 slugging mark last season with South Carolina, making him one of the more consistent run-producing options in the lineup.

Missouri’s rotation for the series appears more clearly defined, with starters already lined up for each game from Friday to Sunday. 

Friday — Javyn Pimental
Saturday — Josh McDevitt
Sunday — Brady Kehlenbrink

Midweek- JD Dohrmann

Missouri’s pitching staff enters 2026 with renewed energy and a fresh identity under new pitching coach Drew Dickinson. After a rough 2025 season in which the team posted a 9.19 ERA and allowed a conference-worst 458 earned runs, Dickinson brings a competitive mindset and a proven track record from his time at Virginia, where his staffs ranked among the nation’s best.

​​JD Dohrmann showed promise during the Tigers’ intersquad scrimmage, tossing six innings while allowing three earned runs. Left-hander Javyn Pimental, despite missing the 2025 season following Tommy John surgery, his presence back is in the rotation. In 2024, he led the Tigers with a 3.61 ERA and allowed the fewest hits on the staff, proving he can keep runners off the bases when healthy.

The bullpen should feature a wide group of arms, especially early in the season as innings are managed.

Ian Lohse, Juan Villareal, Keyler Gonzalez, Kadden Drew, Trey Lawrence, and Dane Bjorn are all expected to factor into relief situations. Lohse was in and out of the starting rotation last season due to injury, so his return will be anticipated for a staff looking to turn the page on a rocky last season.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts expects a lot from Shohei Ohtani this season. But even with those high expectations, a topic of conversation Friday as pitchers and catchers went through their first official workouts at Camelback Ranch, the superstar two-way player already found a way to exceed them.

“I came into camp at the beginning of February,” Ohtani said through interpreter Will Ireton following a bullpen session. “This is my third bullpen with pretty good intensity. … I’m not really sure how I’ll be able to practice in the WBC setting, so I’m going to try to ramp up as much as I can to a point where I’m throwing a live BP, which should be next week.”

The 2026 season will be Ohtani’s third year with the Dodgers, and his first pitching without restrictions. Fully recovered from his second Tommy John surgery, Ohtani was able to enjoy a regular, albeit short, offseason. With Ohtani in full bloom, Roberts has even higher hopes for the four-time MVP in the coming season.

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“I think there’s certainly a lot more in there, and regardless of my expectations for him, his are going to exceed those,” Roberts said Friday. “I think it’s fair to say, he expects to be in the Cy Young conversation, but we just want to be healthy and make starts and all the numbers and statistics will take care of themselves, but man, this guy is such a disciplined worker, and expects the most from himself.”

Ohtani’s highest placement in Cy Young Award voting came in 2022, when, still a member of the Angels, he finished fourth after logging 15 wins, a 2.33 ERA and a 1.012 WHIP across 166 innings pitched. Ohtani suffered a torn ulnar collateral ligament the following season, requiring Tommy John surgery.

“If the end result is getting a Cy Young, that’s great,” Ohtani said. “Getting a Cy Young means being able to throw more innings and pitch throughout the whole season, so if that’s the end result, that’s a good sign for me. I’m just focused on being healthy the whole year.”

Ohtani appeared in 14 games last season, logging 47 innings pitched. Roberts liked what he saw in the small sample size.

“I think the thing that was most surprising from last year was his command,” Roberts said. “And I’ll say that he still feels his command wasn’t up to par, but given the Tommy John and what typically command looks like the year after, it was above that. So, I think that was impressive. Just his ability to command the couple different breaking balls, to change the shape of his breaking balls was pretty impressive, and everything he does is with a purpose. So, I’m really excited to see with the full offseason and to just prepare and not rehab, what he can do this year.”

Physically, Roberts believes Ohtani is in the right place entering the ninth year of his career.

“I think he just looks strong,” Roberts said. “He looks strong, but there’s not too much mass. Just watching him throw, watching him run, his body’s moving well. I think he’s in a sweet spot. Just watching him, the muscle mass, it just seems that he’s in a sweet spot.”

Ohtani and Roberts said that they don’t yet know when Ohtani and some of his teammates will be departing for the World Baseball Classic, but Ohtani will continue to ramp up in the time leading up to next month's event. Last month at DodgerFest, Roberts announced Ohtani will not pitch in the WBC in order to focus on pitching in the regular season.

"As much as people think that he's not human, he's still a human being who's had two surgeries," Roberts said Friday. "He's got a long career ahead of him."

Yoshinobu Yamamoto throws live BP

Yoshinobu Yamamoto threw a live batting practice Friday as the World Series MVP took the mound for the first time since he recorded the final out of last year’s Fall Classic. Yamamoto threw 20 pitches to a pair of his teammates, with right-handed hitting catcher Will Smith and left-handed hitting infielder Hyeseong Kim alternated at-bats.

Kim turned on a pair of fastballs from Yamamoto, ripping a pair of base hits into right field.

A little over an hour before Yamamoto pitched, Roberts was asked by reporters about Yamamoto’s durability, coming off a postseason where the 27-year-old totaled 526 pitches, capped off by a Herculean effort in Game 7 that powered the Dodgers to their second straight World Series championship.

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“I just believe that he knows his limitations and he’s prepared, so I’m not too concerned about it,” Roberts said.

Yamamoto wasn’t the only pitcher to see some run on the Dodgers’ first day of camp. Among those to throw a bullpen session Friday: veteran Tyler Glasnow, promising sophomore Roki Sasaki, playoff hero Will Klein, newcomer Edwin Díaz, and Ohtani.

Staff writer Anthony Solorzano contributed to this report.

Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

The Royals announced they have signed left-handed pitcher John Means to a two-year minor league deal. Means is a Gardner, Kansas native who was an All-Star with the Orioles in 2019, but has battled injuries the last four seasons.

Means graduated from Gardner-Edgerton High School and attended Fort Scott Community College before being drafted by the Orioles. He made his debut in 2018 and was an All-Star the next year, winning 12 games with a 3.60 ERA and 4.4 rWAR, finishing second in Rookie of the Year voting. He was Baltimore’s Opening Day starter in 2021 and tossed a no-hitter in May of that year. He made just two starts in 2022 before he was sidelined with an elbow injury that required Tommy John surgery.

Means returned late in 2023 and was very effective in four starts. But in 2024, he made just four starts with reduced velocity before he injured his ulnar collateral ligament again, requiring a second Tommy John surgery. He spent last year in the Guardians organization, making seven starts in the minors. Last December, he was about to sign with a team when he ruptured his Achilles, requiring surgery.