Former Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw is joining Team USA for the World Baseball Classic, a surprising move considering his retirement a couple of months ago. Still, it means that the legendary ace will suit up once more.
Kershaw, despite still pitching at a solid primary league level, made the call to retire after the 2025 season after a run of injuries that bothered him over the recent years.
He missed the start of the season on the mend. Still, the starter remained relatively healthy and played through the end of the season in the rotation before moving to the bullpen for a handful of postseason appearances.
Kershaw got a farewell tour at the end of the season, making his final road and home starts special occasions that highlight his legacy.
After the Dodgers won the World Series, he soaked in his final moment of glory, enjoying the moment with his family, including his children.
It seemed like the last time he would put on a baseball uniform, though on Thursday, news came in that he was joining Team USA for the WBC, something Kershaw did not even think he would be invited to, especially as a player.
“I’m so excited it’s going to be so much fun. When DeRosa approached me about being apart of this team, I had wanted to do it a few years ago, but I was too broken for the insurance to cover my arm and everything,” Kershaw said on MLB Network.
“I just want to be the insurance policy, if anybody needs a breather or if they need me to pitch back to back to back or if they don’t need me to pitch at all, I’m just there to be there. I just want to be a part of this group. I learned a long time ago that you just want to be a part of great things.
“DeRo called me and I missed his call and he said call me back about the WBC. I thought he wanted me to coach. Then he mentioned playing again, and I’m going to be honest, I didn’t have a whole lot of interest in picking up a baseball again. But I started throwing 10-12 days ago, and it doesn’t feel terrible. So I think I’ll be OK.”
Kershaw should get a chance to pitch in a game, even a ceremonial appearance, allowing fans of baseball as a whole to see his iconic, 12-6 wind-up once again.
Photo Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
