Clayton Kershaw decides not to play for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic
Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw has declared that he will not play for Team USA in the upcoming World Baseball Classic due to insurance issues.
The United States put together a squad worthy of winning the World Baseball Classic 2023, but little by little it has been losing players such as pitcher Néstor Cortés, and now, starter Clayton Kershaw.
The Dodgers pitcher has stated that he will not play for Team USA in the upcoming competition. According to The Athletic, the left-hander was unable to obtain an insurance policy due to his history of injuries.
“I’m not gonna be able to play in the WBC,” Kershaw told Alden Gonzalez. “Super disappointing... All sides really tried to make it work and nothing’s wrong with me, it just didn’t work out”.
The 34-year-old is aware that this could be his last chance to participate in the World Classic for the first time. Now, the bullpen will consist of Adam Wainwright, Miles Mikolas, Lance Lynn, Merrill Kelly, Brady Singer and Kyle Freeland, who replaced Cortés.
“I really wanted to be a part of that group, probably my last chance to get to do it,” the left-handed pitcher explained. “I really wanted to do it, but it just didn’t work out for a number of reasons.”
Kershaw will be 35 when the next major league season begins. Last season, he pitched in 22 games and earned 12 wins for three losses. His ERA was 2.28 after allowing 32 runs and striking out 137 of the 493 batters he faced in 126.1 innings.
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Insurance for the World Baseball Classic
In order for a player to receive permission from the major league team to which he belongs, he must obtain insurance that protects him in case of injury. This becomes complicated when a player with a long history seeks to play in the international tournament.