The Los Angeles Dodgers will take a brief break from Cactus League play when they host 2017 World Baseball Classic semifinalist Japan on Sunday at Camelback Ranch. For Team Japan, the stop in Arizona is a tune-up prior to facing the Pool F runner-up at Dodger Stadium.
A recent change by the Dodgers in their rotation meant Kenta Maeda was no longer scheduled to face his fellow countrymen. After consulting with the Dodgers, Maeda decided against pitching for Japan in this year’s WBC, so as to put his focus on the 2017 regular season.
While Rich Hill was penciled in to start against Japan, he will instead pitch in a Minor League game, and the Dodgers will hand the ball to Trevor Oaks in the exhibition game, according to Ken Gurnick of MLB.