Major League (MLB) Los Angeles Dodgers franchise pitcher Clayton Kershaw (35) will not participate in the 2023 World Baseball Classic (WBC).
Kershaw, who was called to the Dodgers spring camp,안전놀이터 met with local reporters on the 18th (Korean time) and said, “I couldn’t participate in the WBC.” It’s embarrassing,” he said.
Kershaw was selected to the final roster for the United States National Baseball Team and was scheduled to compete at the WBC in March, but his history of back injury prevented him from participating in the tournament.
Local media outlets such as USA Today and ESPN reported that Kershaw was unable to participate in the WBC due to insurance issues.
Major league players who receive high salaries must sign up for an insurance company in consideration of the risk of injury in order to participate in the WBC. However, Kershaw was placed on the disabled list (DL) five times over the past seven years due to back pain, and was turned away by insurance companies who felt the risk.
Sonny Gray (Minnesota Twins), who tried to participate in the WBC as a US baseball team in 2017, was also canceled due to the same problem.
“There is nothing wrong with me,” Kershaw said, expressing frustration, saying, “It didn’t work out for a number of reasons.”
He continued, “There were several factors that made it difficult to participate in the tournament. We tried to solve this with the Major League Secretariat, the players’ union, and the club, but it was not done.”
Kershaw has only played for the Dodgers since 2008 and recorded a major league career record of 197 wins and 87 losses, an ERA of 2.48 and 2807 strikeouts. Kershaw, who had accomplished everything in the major leagues, such as being selected as an All-Star nine times, winning the Cy Young Award three times, winning the League Most Valuable Player once, and winning the World Series once, hoped to become a national representative and stand at the top of the WBC. He has never participated in the WBC.
Kershaw expressed his dissatisfaction, saying, “I’m frustrated. I have to let the players who want to play play.”
The U.S. baseball team, which is trying to win its second consecutive championship, also suffered a loss of power as the starting left-handed resources, from Nestor Cortes (New York Yankees) to Kershaw, left.