Former Los Angeles Dodger Clayton Kershaw’s near appearance on Tuesday may be as close as he comes to playing in the World Baseball Classic.
Kershaw’s final game on the roster will be Friday’s quarterfinal matchup with Canada, meaning win or lose, his time in the WBC will be done after that, reports Jon Morosi of MLB Network.
And given his recent retirement from the MLB, Friday is likely to be his last game ever.
Mar 4, 2026; Scottsdale, AZ, USA; United States pitcher Clayton Kershaw (22) throws against the Colorado Rockies in the third inning at Salt River Fields. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn ImagesHow Has Clayton Kershaw Performed in the WBC?
Put bluntly, he hasn’t, but that was to be expected.
Kershaw’s role on Team USA was described by Jesse Rogers of ESPN as a “‘break glass in case of emergency’ player.”
He was spotted warming up in Team USA’s eventual loss to Team Italy on Tuesday, though he never was called to the mound.
He was expected to only be used in blowouts, and it seems possible that Team USA manager Mark DeRosa thought the matchup with Italy was irrelevant to the Americans’ chances of advancing to the knockout round.
The game was indeed important, as was the run differential, which is perhaps why Kershaw never took the field.
Barring an appearance on Friday, Kershaw’s only time pitching for Team USA will be in an exhibition game against the Colorado Rockies.
It didn’t go well. He gave up a 414-foot home run, though he did get a standing ovation from the fans.
Who Will Replace Clayton Kershaw on the WBC Roster?
Kershaw will be replaced by pitcher Joe Ryan of the Minnesota Twins, reports Bob Nightengale of USA Today.
Ryan has 114 MLB starts under his belt, notching a career ERA of 3.79 and WHIP of 1.063.
Those numbers pale a bit in comparison to Kershaw’s career ERA of 2.53 and WHIP of 1.018, but Kershaw is 37 years old to Ryan’s 29.
While the future Hall of Famer Kershaw certainly has some lessons to share with his fellow Americans, his page prevents him from being the hurler he once was.
Ryan, however, brings some experience — five years in the majors — and a younger arm that is likely to be able to carry a bigger load for Team USA.
LA Baseball Report
Get the app for faster news
GET ×