Los Angeles Dodgers stars Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto are set to make an early appearance in Spring Training amid their pending departure to the World Baseball Classic.

According to manager Dave Roberts, Yamamoto will start one of the team’s first spring ball games over the weekend, while Ohtani will be the designated hitter for the first game.

Yamamoto and Ohtani are two of the most important players on the Dodgers, and their health is the top priority for the team in their chase for a third straight title.

According to Ayako Oikawa of MLB.com, Team Japan is already in training camp, preparing for a camp that will last until Feb. 24 before they start playing exhibition games.

There is still no clear information on Yamamoto and Ohtani’s availability for Spring Training beyond the first few games.

“I don’t know when he’s going to leave us to join Team Japan, but there’s still gonna be ample time for him to get his progression here with us,” Roberts said.

“To then, I’m sure Mark will be talking to the pitching coach over there and kind of, you know, stick to our plan and we’ll be in lockstep.”

The Dodgers kick off their Cactus League schedule on Saturday against the Los Angeles Angels.

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