Giants' Webb won't pitch for Team USA in WBC
Logan Webb, the San Francisco Giants' rising homegrown ace, generated fanfare in December when it was announced that he had committed to pitch for Team USA in this spring's World Baseball Classic.
Webb, however, wasn't on the Team USA roster unveiled Thursday afternoon on MLB Network.
The exclusion of the Giants' young right-hander shouldn't come as too big of a surprise, after Webb politely declined to answer WBC-related questions at fan fest last weekend. While it wasn't clear whether the decision came from Webb or the team, the Giants won't complain about less strain on Webb's valuable right arm — even if it does take away the enticing possibility of Webb facing his teammates in their March 8 scrimmage at Scottsdale Stadium.
Webb, 26, is coming off a season in which he set career highs in innings pitched and games started, with a 16-9 record and career-best 2.90 ERA, and has his sights set on reaching the 200-inning threshold this season. While Webb made his first Opening Day start last season, the Giants are expecting him to further ascend into their ace this season without a partner such as Carlos Rodón or Kevin Gausman atop the rotation.
Although it won't be Webb, Giants fans will have a couple other reasons to tune in.
Camilo Doval will pitch for his native Dominican Republic, which features a stacked roster that includes 2022 NY Cy Young winner Sandy Alcantara, 2022 AL Rookie of the Year Julio Rodriguez, Juan Soto, Manny Machado, Rafael Devers and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. The Dominican pitching staff also includes a pair of former Giants: Johnny Cueto and Jarlín García.
Joc Pederson will also suit up for Team Israel, which along with Doval and the Dominican squad will be based out of Miami for the entirety of their run in the tournament. Pederson first played for Team Israel during the qualifying round back in 2013, but this will be his first appearance in the tournament itself.
“It was such a cool experience and such a good group of guys (in 2013) … when this one came around and it was in the States, it's just an honor that they asked me,” Pederson said last month on MLB Network. “I'm really excited to go out there with the group of guys and go out there and compete. I think we have a pretty tough bracket when I look at it.”
Team USA, which will train at the Giants' Papago Park facility in Arizona, is star-studded in its own right. Commitments from Mike Trout, Mookie Betts, Nolan Arenado, Paul Goldschmidt and Pete Alonso should blunt Webb's absence. Although it is notable that Webb would have been arguably the top starter on the
Americans' staff, which is left to be headlined by Nestor Cortes, Merrill Kelly and Clayton Kershaw.
The tournament runs from March 7 to March 21, with Team USA among the five teams in Pool C to play their first-round games in Phoenix before play shifts to Miami for the final stages. Two of the five teams in each pool advance to the second round. Mexico, Canada, Great Britain and Colombia make up the remainder of Team USA's group.
– Evan Webeck
Soccer QUAKES LOSE KEY STARTER IN PRESEASON >>
While the San Jose Earthquakes won their first preseason match against MLS competition on Thursday, the day was soured by some injury news.
Nathan, a consistent starter in defense for the Quakes, injured the ACL in his right knee in Saturday's preseason match against Monterey Bay F.C. of the USL. While the Quakes only said the defender will be out “indefinitely,” they did say he will undergo surgery in the coming weeks.
It's the second straight year with a knee injury for the 27-year-old Brazilian, who tore the meniscus in his left knee last February. He returned from that surgery after six weeks to play in 26 matches for the Quakes in 2022, scoring three goals.
Now, San Jose will have to figure out how to play without him — again. But thanks to first half goals from Jamiro Monteiro and Cristian Espinoza, they won Thursday's match against D.C. United 2-1 at the Coachella Valley Invitational.
The Quakes have two more preseason matches (Feb. 15 against Minnesota United FC, Feb. 18 versus New York Red Bulls) before their regular season opener in Atlanta on Feb. 25.
College sports
MOVE BY TEXAS, OKLAHOMA FROM BIG 12 TO SEC BUMPED TO 2024 >> Texas and Oklahoma are heading to the Southeastern Conference in 2024, a year earlier than originally planned, after Big 12 officials cleared the way Thursday for the storied programs to exit their league.
Texas and Oklahoma will leave behind the $50 million each school would have received over the next two seasons under the Big 12's media contracts.
“By reaching this agreement, we are now able to accelerate our new beginning as a 12-team league and move forward in earnest with our initiatives and future planning,” Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormak said in a statement announcing the agreement.
BYU, Central Florida, Cincinnati and Houston are joining the Big 12 prior to the 2023 football season, giving the league a temporary membership of 14 schools. But it will be back to 12 in 2024 now.