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.

In an offseason where everything has seemed to come up favorably for the Los Angeles Dodgers, it’s no surprise that the team has also received a nice benefit with Shohei Ohtani.