GLENDALE, Ariz. – Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw, the most decorated pitcher scheduled to pitch in the 2023 World Baseball Classicwas forced to withdraw from the international tournament on Friday simply because an insurance policy did not allow it.
“It was super disappointing…” said Kershaw, triple Cy Young winner and future Hall of Fame. “I’m frustrated. I really wanted to do it.
“We tried a lot of different things. I tried to solve the problem by myself. I tried to find a solution with MLB, the union, the team, everyone. Everyone worked hard to make it work.
“I just couldn’t do it.”
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Kershaw, on a one-year contract worth $20 million, has previously had back problems that gave pause to the insurance company, which informed him and the Dodgers that they would not pay his contract if he got injured in the WBC.
“It’s really surprising,” Kershaw said Friday. “I am 100% healthy. Nothing is wrong with me. I didn’t think there would be any problems. …They should make it easier for guys to want to play, play.
“Obviously, if a (MLB) team doesn’t want you to play is one thing, but if you have the team’s blessing like I do, they should probably look into that.”
“A process that everyone must follow”
Every player must have medical insurance to participate in the tournament, MLB officials said, and Kershaw is just one of several players who failed to clear the hurdles imposed by the insurance company. insurance. They have not yet determined who will replace Kershaw on the U.S. roster.
Kershaw missed two months last season with back issues and most of the second half of 2021 with elbow issues. He has been limited to 22 starts each over the past two seasons, throwing fewer than 126 innings each year.
“It’s a process that everyone has to go through,” said Tony Reagins, MLB’s director of baseball development and general manager of Team USA. “We just couldn’t get insurance in this case.”
And yes, although Kershaw was disappointed and frustrated, MLB and WBC officials shared his feelings.
“We were all eager to get him,” Reagins told USA TODAY Sports. “He’s obviously a future Hall of Famer and one of the best lefties to ever hit it. It’s not so much frustrating, but disappointing. We wanted Clayton to be a part of it. We knew what he brought to the table. He wanted to carry the United States on his chest.
Kershaw ‘really looking forward to’ WBC
Kershaw, 34, will now be relegated to cheering from afar, knowing he will likely never get to experience the WBC.
“In the past, it just wasn’t thought that I had to prepare for the season,” Kershaw said. “It wasn’t really a priority of mine…It’s something that always seemed fun to do, but it’s not something I thought was an option until this year.”
“I was really looking forward to it, I was getting excited as it got closer. Great group of guys. It was a really great group, it would have been a lot of fun to be a part of.
“It’s almost like a meaningful All-Star Game.”
Kershaw declined to say when he was informed the insurance policy would become an issue, but reiterated that he feels in perfect health and believes he will have no problem preparing for the WBC which begins on March 11.
“This year, at the beginning, I felt healthy,” Kershaw said. “The way they structured it, it would only last one or two starts. I felt really good health-wise.
“Obviously, it’s not the most important thing when you’re with the Dodgers, but we’ll be ready for the season.”
