Ohtani Shohei at the 2023 World Baseball Classic – all updates on Japan and Angels superstar

The 2023 World Baseball Classic (8–21 March 2023) featured some of the sport's biggest stars, including Japan's Ohtani Shohei.

With Major League Baseball (MLB) players eligible to compete in men's baseball's biggest international tournament, which is jointly sanctioned by MLB and the sport's international governing body WBSC, much of the focus is on the MLB superstars donning their national team jerseys.

None more so than the 2021 American League Most Valuable Player Ohtani, whose return to Japan set the sports pages alight in his home country.

Ohtani, arguably MLB's greatest ever two-way player (meaning he both pitches and hits, while players normally only specialise in one) surpassing Babe Ruth, was the star of the Japanese national team at the WBC – where he's wore the national jersey in a competitive setting for the first time in nearly eight years.

His last appearance with the Samurai Japan at a competition was at the 2015 WBSC Premier12, the top WBSC international tournament in men's baseball not featuring MLB players. At that tournament, he and Team Japan won the bronze medal. While he was called up for the 2017 WBC, he was forced out of that tournament by an ankle problem. This was the first time he had suited up internationally since moving to the U.S. and Major League Baseball in 2018.

Here is how Ohtani's WBC developed.

• World Baseball Classic 2023: Full schedule and how to watch live

Latest updates on Ohtani at the WBC – Timeline

• 17 November 2022 - Ohtani announces his intention to play in the 2023 WBC for Team Japan.
• 6 January 2023 - Japan manager Kuriyama Hideki confirms that Ohtani, along with fellow MLB players Darvish Yu and Suzuki Seiya, are among the first 12 players named to the Japanese team. "I remember watching the (WBC) games with my heart pounding. Now I get to play," Ohtani says at a press conference. Ohtani had been part of the initial Japanese roster for the 2017 WBC, but withdrew due to injury.
• 4 February - The Angels confirm that they will not put restrictions on Ohtani hitting or pitching at the World Baseball Classic. Ohtani will also miss the Japanese national team's WBC training camp in February, as the Angels expect him to make a Spring Training start before leaving for Japan in March.
• 14 February - Ohtani reports for Angels Spring Training along with other WBC-bound teammates including Team USA's Mike Trout.
• 16 February - The Angels announce that they will after all limit Ohtani pitching-wise to a starter role in the WBC, excluding him from appearing as a reliever or closer.
• 17 February - Japan team to break camp for WBC in Miyazaki Prefecture.
• 25 February - The Angels' Spring Training schedule begins against the Seattle Mariners.
• 26 February - Ohtani plays his first Spring Training game of 2023, going 1-for-3 with a triple against the Chicago White Sox.
• 27 February - Ohtani goes 1-for-2 against the San Francisco Giants in another Spring Training game.
• 28 February - Ohtani makes his first - and only - scheduled spring start against the Oakland Athletics before heading to Japan. He throws 2 1/3 innings of hitless ball, allowing 2 walks and striking out 2 without conceding a run.
• 1 March - Ohtani leaves for Japan.
• 3 March - Ohtani takes his first WBC practice session with the Samurai Japan in Nagoya.
• 6 March - Ohtani hits two home runs, both three-run shots, in Japan's first official WBC tune-up against Hanshin Tigers in Osaka.
• 7 March - Japan to play Orix Buffaloes in second pre-WBC exhibition in Osaka.
• 9 March - Team Japan begins WBC play with an 8-1 win over People's Republic of China at the Tokyo Dome. Ohtani is the starting pitcher, throwing 49 pitches and allowing a hit as he strikes out five in four innings of work. Ohtani has two hits and drives in two runs with a double. 4.0 IP, H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 5 SO.
• 10 March - Japan thump perennial rivals Republic of Korea 13-4 with Ohtani having a second two-hit game. He doubled and scored in the fifth inning, and hit an RBI single in the sixth where Japan scored five runs to break open the game.
• 11 March - Ohtani had just one hit in the 10-2 victory over Czechia, hiting an RBI double off the left-field wall in the fourth inning. He then had his first stolen base of the tournament to advance to third before reaching home for his fourth run of this WBC.
• 12 March - Ohtani put Japan on the way to a 7-1 victory over previously unbeaten Australia with a three-run homer in the first inning. He took his RBI tally for the game to four in the fourth inning as he walked with the bases loaded.
• 14 March - Ohtani is named the Most Valuable Player of Pool B in the WBC. In addition to his one pitching appearance, he finishes the group stage hitting .500 (6-for-12) with three doubles, a home run, and 8 RBI.
• 15 March - Samurai Japan selects Ohtani to start the WBC quarter-final against Italy on Thursday 16 March.
• 16 March - Ohtani pitches four and two-thirds innings against Italy, but allows his first runs of the tournament. He goes 1-for-4 at the plate. His pitching line: 4.2 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 5 SO, HBP.
• 19 March - Despite the Angels asking him not to pitch further in the tournament, Ohtani tells Japanese media that he has been given permission to be allowed to pitch in relief should Japan qualify for the final.
• 20 March - Ohtani goes 2-for-4 with a walk, scoring two runs, as Japan come from behind to walk off Mexico in the semi-finals and set up a final match-up against Team USA.
• 21 March - Ohtani starts the final as Japan's designated hitter, going 1-for-3 with a walk. He comes in as the closing pitcher in the 9th inning to secure the win for Japan, striking out club teammate Mike Trout for the final out. He is named the tournament MVP, while also making the all-tournament team as both a designated hitter and a pitcher.
• Ohtani's final World Baseball Classic hitting stats: 10-for-23 (.435) with four doubles and a home run with 10 walks, slashing .435/.606/.739
• Ohtani's final World Baseball Classic pitching stats: 3 games, 2 wins, 1 save, 9.2 innings pitched, 5 hits allowed, 2 runs allowed (both earned), 2 hit batters, 2 walks, 11 strikeouts, 1.86 ERA