Kershaw won't play in World Baseball Classic
GLENDALE, ARIZ. >> Clayton Kershaw won’t be pitching in the World Baseball Classic after all.
Kershaw announced Friday he would not be playing for Team USA due to what he called “complications” earlier this week.
“Super disappointing,” he said at his locker at Camelback Ranch following the Dodgers’ workout on Friday. “We tried a lot of different things, all sides really tried to make it work. Nothing’s wrong with me. It just didn’t work out. I really wanted to do it, wanted to be a part of that group.
“It’s probably my last chance to be able to do it, so I really wanted to do it. Just didn’t work out for a number of reasons. Disappointing, but that’s OK. I’ll be ready for the season. I’ll be ready to go.”
Kershaw would not say what “reasons” were keeping him from playing in the tournament, which runs from March 7-21, but participants are required to be covered by insurance in case of injury. Players have been prevented from participating in the past when injury insurance could not be obtained. Sources confirmed that Kershaw’s history of back injuries prevented him from satisfying that requirement.
“I don’t think that’s super important,” Kershaw said when asked why he would not be playing. “There were some factors that were making it hard for me to play. I tried to work it out on my own, tried to work it out with MLB, the union, the team. Everybody worked hard to try to make it work out. Just wasn’t able to.
“I’m bummed. It’s disappointing. But obviously it’s not the most important thing when you’re with the Dodgers. We’ll be ready for the season.”
Kershaw asserted that he is “100% healthy, so I didn’t think there’d be any issues. But things happen.”
Team USA General Manager Tony Reagins called it “unfortunate that Clayton won’t be able to pitch for us.”
“Clayton’s desire to wear ‘USA’ across his chest and represent his country was evident very early on in this process,” Reagins said. “We would have loved to have this future Hall of Famer on the mound for us. We respect all that he would bring to this clubhouse and this group of men.”
Kershaw had never participated in the WBC, which began in 2006. After an uncertain winter last year due to an elbow injury, he went into this offseason healthy and was eager to play in the international tournament.
“In the past, it just wasn’t a thought. I had to get ready for the season and it wasn’t really a focus of mine,” he said. “But this year, coming into it feeling healthy, going into the offseason, the way they structured it — it was probably only going to be one or two starts — I felt really good about it from a health perspective. It was something that looked really fun to do, but not something that I thought was going to be an option until this year.”
Kershaw said the Dodgers and president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman supported his desire to play in the WBC and tried to help him work through the complications so he could. He cited looking forward to playing with fellow stars Paul Goldschmidt and Adam Wainwright and playing for Team USA manager Mark DeRosa.
“Andrew was great through the whole thing. He said, ‘Whatever you need to do to make it work if you want to do it,’ ” Kershaw said. “Obviously it’s not the first choice of a team to let their guy play for somebody else, but they were great about it.
“I was really looking forward to it. I was getting excited as it was getting closer. A great group of guys. I’ve been talking to Goldy, Waino, D-Ro, Michael Young, Andy Pettitte … it was such a great group. It would have been really fun to be a part of. It’s almost like an All-Star Game with meaning.
“I was getting excited about it.”
Hey, Mikey
The Dodgers will still be well-represented in the WBC, with outfielder Mookie Betts one of those making his debut in the tournament.
He said he committed to play after being recruited by another member of Team USA.
“Mikey, he texted me and he told me he wanted me to play, and I told him I’ll play with him,” Betts said, referring to Angels star Mike Trout. “We don’t get to share the field very often. Now, never (because they are in different leagues). So, to be on the same side playing with him and all the other guys, really it’s going to be a lot of fun.”