Two-way star Shohei Ohtani joined Samurai Japan's World Baseball Classic team Friday after starting spring training with the Los Angeles Angels in Arizona.
Having arrived in Japan on Wednesday, Ohtani joined the national team at Vantelin Dome Nagoya before two warm-up games against the Chunichi Dragons through Saturday. WBC rules prohibit MLB players from playing in games prior to official pre-tournament exhibitions, which begin in Japan on Monday.
Ohtani, and Japan's other MLB players, pitcher Yu Darvish, and outfielders Lars Nootbaar and Masataka Yoshida, will all be eligible to play at Kyocera Dome Osaka against the Hanshin Tigers on Monday and the Orix Buffaloes on Tuesday.
Manager Hideki Kuriyama's team will travel to Tokyo on Wednesday before facing China in their Pool B opener at Tokyo Dome on Thursday evening.
