Fans of the Los Angeles Dodgers can wince in horror at Shohei Ohtani's latest social media update as the MLB star reveals he's still struggling with his elbow and shoulder, months

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.