At long last, the quest for the three-peat begins.
Pitchers and catchers for the Los Angeles Dodgers will report to Camelback Ranch on Friday, though many — including Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto — have been working out at the complex for several days. The team’s first full-squad workout will take place Monday.
For the back-to-back World Series champs, bringing home another title is the only goal.
Most of the Dodgers’ star-studded roster is set. But questions remain regarding the usage and availability of many of those players. Here’s what we’re looking at as spring training begins.
Let’s get to work, Champs! pic.twitter.com/Fi7MOzjG1u
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) February 9, 2026
What will Shohei Ohtani’s workload look like?
The Dodgers will open the season with a fully healthy two-way Ohtani for the first time since signing him ahead of the 2024 season. Ohtani is expected to start in the Dodgers rotation come Opening Day but won’t be used on a traditional five-day rest schedule. It’s a position manager Dave Roberts has held firm on since December.
The Dodgers will likely give Ohtani built-in rest days between starts, at least through the first month of the regular season, as he works his way back to a standard workload. Ohtani could see six to eight days between starts, depending on his durability and the rotation’s makeup.
It will be fascinating to see how Los Angeles manages Ohtani’s build-up this spring, considering he’ll spend a large chunk of it away from the team. Ohtani will play for Team Japan in the World Baseball Classic but will be used solely as a designated hitter after electing not to pitch. Ohtani is already throwing bullpen sessions at the Dodgers complex, and he’ll face live hitters before departing for Tokyo. But once the WBC begins, it will become significantly harder to stick to a dedicated schedule. The Dodgers hope Ohtani will continue facing hitters while away, but they can’t guarantee much.
“We’ll just kind of plan it out and go day by day like we always do when we’re in these unorthodox situations, where we can’t just map out the next four weeks,” pitching coach Mark Prior said on a recent episode of “Dodgers Territory.” “The fun part about (Ohtani) is as long as he knows when he’s pitching, he’ll pitch whenever. If it’s six days’ rest, if it’s eight days, three days, he’s willing to do what he needs to do to help this club win.”
How will Kyle Tucker and Edwin Díaz fit in?
Díaz and his 253 career saves will take over closing duties, and Tucker will play right field and likely bat second or third, Roberts said. But how will the rest of the lineup take shape around them?
For the past two seasons, the top of the Dodgers’ lineup has usually featured: Ohtani, Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman and Will Smith. Ohtani will remain the Dodgers’ leadoff hitter, and Roberts has contemplated slotting Smith down to fifth to fit Tucker into the top third of the order. Roberts has floated the idea of Betts’ hitting third but did not commit to anything beyond Ohtani.
If Roberts bats Tucker second and Smith fifth, Freeman would likely take over as the cleanup hitter. That would move Teoscar Hernández to sixth and Max Muncy to seventh, with Tommy Edman and Andy Pages to wrap up. There is lingering concern over Edman’s status for Opening Day as he recovers from offseason ankle surgery. If Edman starts the season on the injured list, that could clear a spot for Hyeseong Kim to get consistent playing time at second base, with Miguel Rojas also available.
Díaz assumes control over a ninth-inning role originally intended for Tanner Scott, whom the Dodgers dished out $72 million to before the 2025 season. Scott faltered in his first year, but the Dodgers will entrust him to be their set-up man. A healthy Brusdar Graterol, who will be a full go on the reporting date after notching just 10 innings last year, will be in the mix for late innings as well.
Brock Stewart (shoulder surgery) will be delayed to start the spring. That could open the door for Ben Casparius, who will likely be used as a traditional reliever after serving in a hybrid role in 2025. Veterans Alex Vesia and Blake Trienen will return as well, giving the Dodgers bullpen a deep arsenal of arms.
What’s the outlook for the rotation?
Ohtani’s workload was always going to be a focal point, but he’s far from the only case. Blake Snell’s status for Opening Day is uncertain. Yamamoto will pitch for Team Japan in the WBC but likely only in the later rounds, provided the defending champions advance out of pool play. Tyler Glasnow made only 18 starts last year. Roki Sasaki made 11.
All five starters are likely to be under some restrictions in late March and April. Because of this, Roberts is likely to use a hybrid option or could use a straight-up six-man rotation. He’ll be aided by the schedule; the Dodgers have four off days over their first four weeks of the regular season, which should help with workload concerns. But pitchers like Emmet Sheehan, Gavin Stone, Justin Wrobleski and River Ryan will see serious looks this spring. Los Angeles will need as much rotation flexibility as it can get.
The Dodgers believe they have enough.
“(This) is definitely the best starting rotation I’ve ever been around, and the deepest,” president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said in January. “As we got into the offseason and kind of assessing where we’re at, what we’re looking for, it really kind of solidified and set in just how special this group of arms is.”