Shohei Ohtani will participate in the Classic only as a hitter, with a massive insurance claim being a key factor.

Shohei Ohtani keeps leading Japan’s Samurai team in the World Baseball Classic (WBC), striving for a repeat championship, which was almost universally anticipated. The main uncertainty was whether he would once again take the mound as a two-way player during the Classic.

This question was ultimately answered at the Dodgers’ yearly fan gathering, DodgerFest. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts personally announced that Ohtani will not pitch in the 2026 Classic and will only serve as the designated hitter. Notably, Roberts made this clear about an hour after Ohtani had said his role was “not fully decided,” emphasizing that the decision was “entirely Ohtani’s own choice.”

In fact, Ohtani successfully returned to pitching last year and remained healthy, which had raised hopes for him to showcase his two-way skills on the international stage again. However, as it became confirmed that he will only participate as a hitter, the reasons behind this decision gradually surfaced. Several U.S. media outlets reported that “insurance issues” played a crucial role in this choice.

Evan Drellich of The Athletic revealed on the program Foul Territory that given the scale of Ohtani’s current mega contract, it is nearly impossible to secure insurance coverage for his pitching duties in the Classic. “I was told the insurance cost is astronomical. I don’t know the exact figure, but it’s definitely extremely expensive,” Drellich explained.

He further elaborated on how the current Classic insurance system works: pitchers are covered for four years, while hitters only get two years. “If Ohtani were insured as a pitcher, based on what Ken Rosenthal and I have learned, insurance companies are unwilling to cover him as a pitcher because that means a full coverage of $70 million annually for four years, rather than a present-value $46 million after deducting deferred payments.”

This implies that if Ohtani were injured while pitching during the Classic, the insurance payout could reach as high as $280 million (approximately 2.03 billion RMB). Such a huge risk is difficult for insurers to bear.

The insurance dispute has not only affected Ohtani but has also cast a shadow over the upcoming Classic. Dodgers infielder Miguel Rojas from Venezuela openly expressed his dissatisfaction, calling the new rule setting “37 years old” as the participation cutoff confusing and stating that Latin American players are disproportionately impacted.

For Ohtani, the iconic moment of him pitching in the Classic may forever be frozen in time during the historic 2023 final: when he struck out then-Angels teammate and U.S. team captain Mike Trout, securing the championship for Japan. This scene has become one of the most emblematic images in World Baseball Classic history.

Although Ohtani’s two-way appearance won’t be seen in the 2026 Classic, the 31-year-old will still carry the offensive core of the Japanese team as a hitter. Meanwhile, the Dodgers have clearly planned to continue using him as a “full starting pitcher” during the regular season. In other words, the conservative approach on the national team stage is aimed at ensuring he can maintain his strongest form on the mound throughout the Major League season.