After playing into November and winning a second consecutive World Series championship with the Dodgers , Shohei Ohtani announced on Instagram on Monday that he will play for Team Samurai in the World Baseball Classic next spring.

“Dear fans, thank you for sharing this wonderful season with me. I will train hard and see you again next year,” Ohtani posted in Japanese. “I am delighted to have the opportunity to play again representing Japan.”

Ohtani was named the MVP of the 2023 WBC, when he memorably struck out Mike Trout to end the gold-medal game against Team USA . As Japan’s DH, Ohtani hit .435 with a home run, eight RBIs and a 1.345 OPS in seven games during the tournament. He was 2-0 with a 1.86 ERA in three appearances as a pitcher.

Ohtani’s post does not specify whether he wi

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