TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Yu Chang (張育成) announced on Monday (Dec. 8) his participation in the World Baseball Classic (WBC) training camp for Team Taiwan. He stated his elbow has fully recovered, allowing him to compete at 100%. Taiwan, grouped with Japan, presents Chang the opportunity to face Shohei Ohtani (大谷翔平) on the field.
Chang joked about checking if Ohtani's bat is made of aluminum and expressed hope that Taiwan's pitchers can effectively contain Ohtani's performance. Although he has no clear strategy against Ohtani, Chang humorously noted the loud sound of Ohtani's hits, joking about potential rule violations. He also looks forward to challenging Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto (山本由伸) in a friendly exchange of skills.
Other players, including Hsu Jo-Hsi (徐若熙), are willing to join but face military service obligations. Chen Zhong-Ao Zhuang (莊陳仲敖) is interested but needs discussions with his team and agent, while Gu Lin Ruei-yang (古林睿煬) has been approached but remains undecided. Giljegiljaw Kungkuan (吉力吉撈·鞏冠) and Stuart Fairchild have shown interest, as has Cheng Tsung-Che (鄭宗哲), who plays in the U.S.
Meanwhile, former team Taiwan captain Chen Chieh-Hsien (陳傑憲) remains cautious due to a wrist injury, which has improved but still limits his training intensity. He expressed gratitude to the coaching staff and fans, acknowledging the honor of being selected for the WBC. However, he candidly admitted that his participation will depend on his physical readiness.