Dodgers WBC Update: Yoshinobu Yamamoto plan, Shohei Ohtani throwing, Kiké Hernández

Dave Roberts can't stop getting updates on Yoshinobu Yamamoto wrong.

After Yamamoto's first spring training start with the Dodgers, Roberts shook his hand and wished him luck in the World Baseball Classic, only to learn later that Yamamoto was scheduled to start again later in the week.

On Thursday, Roberts told reporters that his ace would be coming back to Camelback after his Saturday start against Venezuela in Team Japan's quarterfinal, but he was quickly corrected: Yamamoto won't be back until Japan wins or is eliminated from the tournament.

Yamamoto is pitching against Ranger Suárez in a matchup that's sure to give both Dodgers and Phillies fans flashbacks to last year's NLDS.

It should mark the last time Yamamoto throws for Japan, given that the final takes place just three days later, but ... we never know with him.

Dodgers WBC Update: Shohei Ohtani throws sim game with Team Japan

On Thursday, Shohei Ohtani threw four simulated innings on the first of Team Japan's two off-days between pool play and their quarterfinal.

Both Ohtani and the Dodgers have remained unmoved from their initial position: Ohtani will not pitch in the WBC. The tournament's timing did lead to some concerns that his ramp-up as a pitcher would be interrupted or delayed, so seeing him carve out time to continue his throwing progression is reassuring for Dodgers fans.

No one is expecting Ohtani to pitch a full starter's workload this season, even if he stays healthy, and the Dodgers have alluded to starting him slowly at the beginning of the season.

Dodgers WBC Update: Kiké Hernández declares WBC better than World Series

Kiké Hernández is the World Baseball Classic's biggest fan.

After Bryce Harper caused a bit of a stir by basically saying, "The WBC is great and all, but what about the Olympics?" in response to uncertainty involving players' participation in the 2028 Summer Olympics.

Hernández, who couldn't participate in the WBC for Team Puerto Rico this year after undergoing an elbow surgery during the offseason, has been its greatest hype man. He took a trip out to take in one of this fellow countrymen's games, and re-dyed his hair blond, per tradition.

He caused a minor (meaningless) stir over declaring that playing for Team PR "feels like it’s above" playing the World Series, but if baseball fans can be outraged at Tarik Skubal over leaving Team USA early, why can't we back a player who loves representing his country?