The decision is partly a matter of comfort, with Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto accustomed to pitching essentially once a week dating back to their time in Japan. It also factored prominently, the Dodgers believe, into their ability to land phenom Roki Sasaki this winter — like his countrymen, Sasaki is used to pitching on a once-per-week schedule.

With spring training underway and the Los Angeles Dodgers sorting out their version of a "Murderer's Row" level of starting pitching, president Andrew Friedman confirmed on Friday the staff would begin the 2025 campaign with a five-man rotation,