KERSHAW WON’T TAKE PART IN WBC
Clayton Kershaw will not pitch in the World Baseball Classic after all.
The left-hander made the announcement Friday at Dodgers spring training, calling the development “super disappointing” after spending the last three months preparing to play for Team USA in next month’s event.
Although Kershaw declined to provide specific reasons for his inability to participate, people with knowledge of the situation who requested anonymity because they were unauthorized to speak publicly said the pitcher had a problem finalizing insurance coverage required for the event. His back-injury history was a significant factor, they said.
Kershaw said he even tried to “work it out on my own” before resigning to Friday’s announcement.
“We tried a lot of different things, all sides, really tried to make it work,” Kershaw explained while standing in front of his locker at the team’s Camelback Ranch complex. “Nothing is wrong with me. It just didn’t work out. I really wanted to do it.”
Insurance is required for WBC participants on 40man rosters of MLB clubs in order to protect teams against injuries players could suffer.
Insurance issues have caused problems in other iterations of the tournament and can become especially complicated for players such as Kershaw who have a history of injury problems.
Kershaw’s back has ailed him repeatedly in recent seasons, including last year when he twice spent a month on the injured list for various problems.
Kershaw is also only 18 months removed from a significant elbow injury that sidelined him most of the second half of the 2021 season, as well as the playoffs.
This spring, however, Kershaw said he arrived at camp feeling “100 percent” after completing a normal offseason throwing program.
He downplayed the impact that his planned WBC participation would have on his regular-season preparation, noting he didn’t have to work out any earlier than usual.
He said he had grown excited to play in the star-studded event, which was last held in 2017 and never had been something Kershaw seriously considered entering.
“(This is) probably my last chance to get to do it, so I really wanted to,” Kershaw said, noting he had been talking with other Team USA members leading up to the event.
“It’s just such a great group that it would have been really fun to be a part of,” Kershaw added. “It’s almost like an All-Star Game with meaning. I was getting really excited about it.”