GLENDALE, Ariz. – Clayton Kershaw will not pitch for Team USA in the upcoming World Baseball Classic, the Dodgers left-hander told reporters on Friday.
Kershaw is healthy, having reported to camp this week without issues and completing a bullpen session on Thursday afternoon. But the three-time Cy Young winner struggled to secure an insurance claim for the event because of his injury history, according to league sources briefed on the situation but not authorized to speak publicly.
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“All sides really really tried to make it work and nothing’s wrong with me,” Kershaw said Friday. “It just didn’t work out. I really wanted to do it, really wanted to be part of that group. Probably my last chance to get to do it.”
The World Baseball Classic has remained an unchecked box for Kershaw in an illustrious career. Even up until the final decision, Kershaw had been lobbying to pitch in the event — to the point that the 34-year-old even sought out taking his own personal policy for the event, the sources said.
“I’m blown away that he was willing to pursue every avenue to try and put the USA across his chest and represent us in the WBC,” Team USA manager Mark DeRosa told The Athletic. “At the end of the day, it just seemed like there were way too many things he had to do.”
Introducing Team USA for the #WorldBaseballClassic! 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/0ALt4DdWHv
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) February 9, 2023
Kershaw hinted at the possibility of missing out on the event on Wednesday, signaling there were “some complications” with the process.
“We’re going to keep going with (his statement), he’s working through it and we’ll take it day by day,” Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes said Wednesday, alluding to Kershaw’s comments. But Kershaw’s participation in the event became increasingly unlikely after pitchers and catchers reported to camp this week at Camelback Ranch in Glendale, Ariz.
Insurance coverage is required for players to receive clearance in the World Baseball Classic; securing that coverage becomes more difficult with players who have extensive injury histories. Right-hander Sonny Gray was forced to sit out the 2017 World Baseball Classic after he couldn’t get clearance.
“There were some factors that were making it hard for me to play,” Kershaw said Friday. “I tried to work it out on my own, tried to work it out with MLB, the union. Everybody worked hard to try and make it work. Just wasn’t able to.
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“(It’s) definitely surprising. I’m 100 percent healthy, so I didn’t think there’d be any issues but things happen. … I’m frustrated. They should make it easy for guys that want to play to play.”
The Dodgers re-signed Kershaw to a one-year, $20 million deal this winter after the left-hander was as effective as ever, posting a 2.28 ERA in 22 regular-season starts and earning his first career nod to start the All-Star Game in his home ballpark. He also missed time twice with lingering back issues, a year after his season was ended by elbow trouble.
Kershaw has spent time on the injured list in seven consecutive seasons, largely due to lingering back discomfort.
“It’s not a perfect science,” Kershaw said Wednesday of managing the back. “Just trying to figure out as best I can how to keep it going. Obviously, in the offseason you work on different things, try to keep it as strong as possible, keep it mobile. But it’s hard to do both. I’m trying to have the right balance. I don’t know if I’ve figured that out yet. But I feel great (now).”
When healthy, Kershaw continues to be one of the most effective starters in the sport. His inclusion on a Team USA roster that includes Dodgers teammates Will Smith and Mookie Betts (and former teammate Trea Turner) was expected to be a boon for the United States’ odds in the tournament. Kershaw is the most accomplished of a group of pitchers that also includes Cardinals right-handers Adam Wainwright and Miles Mikolas, the White Sox’s Lance Lynn, Diamondbacks’ Merrill Kelly, Royals’ Brady Singer and Rockies’ Kyle Freeland.
DeRosa and Wainwright each played a prominent role in recruiting Kershaw to join the competition in the first place, calling throughout the winter and engaging in conversations with Kershaw as he finalized his return to the Dodgers.
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“I’m just disappointed I don’t get to play with him,” Wainwright said. “Every year, anybody who ever played with both of us, goes, ‘Dude, you would love this guy. You would love to play with him. He would be your favorite.’”
Yankees All-Star left-hander Nestor Cortes also recently pulled out ahead of the World Baseball Classic due to a hamstring injury. Rangers right-hander Nathan Eovaldi and Giants right-hander Logan Webb were not on the Team USA roster when it was announced this month despite previously committing to participating. Eovaldi also encountered insurance concerns, while Webb felt an obligation to remain with the Giants, major-league sources said.
Now, Team USA will be without Kershaw, who returns to his usual stead shouldering a load for a Dodgers rotation with October aspirations. Despite saying he’s in the stage of his career where his decision to continue playing will be on a year-to-year basis, Kershaw shrugged off talk of retirement following this season.
“Honestly, I don’t come in with any thoughts about the future,” Kershaw said. “That’s why I like going every year (to year). You come in and you do everything you can to be good for one year then re-evaluate once the season is over. Last year, I knew pretty quick I wanted to come back and play and wanted to be here.
“I can’t tell you what it’s going to look like in November of this season. But it’s all on the table, for sure.”
(Photo of Kershaw: Rick Scuteri / USA Today)