The United States and Japan meet for the World Baseball Classic championship on Tuesday, March 21. The game will be live streamed on fuboTV (free trial).

That matchup between Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani in the World Baseball Classic may not happen.

Japan rallied in the ninth inning to beat Mexico and advance to Tuesday night’s championship game against the United States, but Shota Imanaga will start on the mound for the Samurai Warriors.

If Trout is to bat against his Los Angeles Angels teammate, it would only be if Ohtani makes a rare relief appearance.

Japan manager Hideki Kuriyama said he likely will use the same starting lineup as he did in the semifinal Monday night against Mexico, when Ohtani batted third as the designated hitter and doubled to start the ninth-inning comeback.

Asked before the game what chance Ohtani had of pitching Tuesday, Kuriyama replied through a translator: “I won’t say it’s a zero.”

Ohtani last took the mound on March 16 in a 9-3 quarterfinal victory over Italy in Tokyo, starting and pitching shutout ball into the fifth inning. He allowed two runs and four hits with five strikeouts and a walk, throwing 71 pitches.

Trout, a three-time AL MVP, has been a Los Angeles Angels teammate of Ohtani’s since 2018 and like most everyone has watched Ohtani become a two-way star without precedent — Babe Ruth didn’t put up big offensive totals until his pitching days were largely behind.

Merrill Kelly starts for the U.S., which will be the visiting team. The Americans had a day off following their 14-2 semifinal rout of Cuba.

When is U.S-Japan?

The United States and Japan face off in the World Baseball Classic at 6 p.m. (7 p.m. ET) on Tuesday, March 21.

Will it be live streamed?

The World Baseball Classic will be live streamed on fuboTV, which offers a free trial. The most basic of plans is the “fubo pro” package, which comprises 146-plus channels for $74.99 per month. Like all cord-cutting alternatives, there are plenty of options, especially for sports. It comes with more than 1,000 hours of cloud-based DVR, and up to 10 screens at once.

There is also the “fubo elite” package, which comprises 205-plus channels for $84.99 per month. It comes with fuboExtra (48 more channels) and News Plus (11 more channels). Plus, more than 1,000 hours of cloud-based DVR, and up to 10 screens at once.

The “fubo premiere” package is “fubo elite” with the addition of Showtime for $94.99 per month.

What TV channel is the game on?

The United States and Japan will be televised on FS1.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.