LA Dodgers star Yoshinobu Yamamoto joins Japanese squad for World Baseball Classic

[p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/yamamoto-yoshinobu/GUKDW5Vu/"]Yamamoto[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/ohtani-shohei/QoeWGRko/"]Ohtani[/a] are among seven current Major League Baseball players in [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/japan/vuZGJUZ0/"]Japan[/a]'s squad for the World Cup-like tournament, which is being held in Japan, the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/usa/dSweSEc8/"]United States[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/puerto-rico/v7R43VK7/"]Puerto Rico[/a] from March 5-17.[/p][p]Ohtani, the two-way superstar who helped the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/los-angeles-dodgers/nwPDBpVc/"]Dodgers[/a] win a second straight World Series title in November, had already been named in a first raft of squad members announced by manager Hirokazu Ibata last month.[/p][p]Yamamoto joined him along with other MLB players including [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/suzuki-seiya/fko3cDD4/"]Seiya Suzuki[/a] of the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/chicago-cubs/j7ZnBQFi/"]Chicago Cubs[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/murakami-munetaka/Um3qc5aF/"]Munetaka Murakami[/a] of the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/chicago-white-sox/SW9D1eZo/"]Chicago White Sox[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/okamoto-kazuma/2iphqXCP/"]Kazuma Okamoto[/a] of the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/toronto-blue-jays/zcDLaZ3b/"]Toronto Blue Jays[/a].[/p][p]"[b]I feel a great sense of responsibility to represent Japan again[/b]," Yamamoto said in a statement released by the team.[/p][p]"[b]I've been training hard to be in shape for the World Baseball Classic. These are fantastic team-mates and coaching staff we can trust, and we want to come together and aim for the title.[/b]"[/p][embed guid="46aa9d22-763d-4041-a1fc-5b83835dad0e" url="https://x.com/Shawn_Spradling/status/2015652883606184394?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]Japan won the tournament for a record-extending third time at the previous tournament in 2023.[/p][p]Ohtani delivered a fairytale 3-2 victory over the United States in the final in Miami, striking out then-[a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/los-angeles-angels/Mg9H0Flh/"]Los Angeles Angels[/a] team-mate [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/trout-mike/nZEWC1Ws/"]Mike Trout[/a] to clinch the win.[/p][p]Japan manager Ibata, who announced his full squad at a packed news conference in Tokyo, said Japan were "only thinking about winning the title".[/p][p]"[b]I'm not so concerned about how we play as long as we win,[/b]" he said.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/nootbaar-lars/pCjeOCS5/"]Lars Nootbaar[/a] of the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/st-louis-cardinals/IDVz16ES/"]St. Louis Cardinals[/a] missed the squad through injury.[/p][p]The US-born Nootbaar, whose mother is Japanese, became a huge hit with the Tokyo crowd after being called up for the 2023 tournament.[/p][p]Japan have been drawn in a first round pool with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/south-korea/2XIeMWkr/"]South Korea[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/australia/h2RcNuiG/"]Australia[/a], Taiwan and the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/czech-republic/jRywgsPQ/"]Czech Republic[/a], with all games to be played at the Tokyo Dome.[/p]