Why isn’t Clayton Kershaw pitching in the World Baseball Classic? Dodgers star a late Team USA scratch

Less than 24 hours after Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw reportedly faced “complications” to pitch for Team USA at the World Baseball Classic, the southpaw confirmed he will not be attending the event.

Kershaw, who turns 35 next month and has been struggling with back injuries since 2014, told reporters he will be ready for spring training with the Dodgers but won’t be representing his country.

“I won’t be able to play in the WBC,” he told reporters Friday outside his locker, per Fox. “Super disappointing, we tried many different things. All pages. I really tried to make it work. And I’m fine, it just didn’t work out.”

MORE: 2023 World Baseball Classic: 10 pitcher-hitter matchups we can’t wait to see

Kershaw is just the latest US pitcher to retire, and Nestor Cortes also retired shortly after the rosters were announced.

Why doesn’t Clayton Kershaw compete in the World Baseball Classic?

While Kershaw didn’t go into specifics, it’s easy to see why he might find it difficult to play for another team as the season approaches.

Kershaw has had back problems since 2014 when he missed 41 days with a back infection. His woes continued in 2016 with a herniated disc that kept him away 74 days and a back strain in 2017 that kept him away for 39 days.

His back also played along in 2018 and 2020, and he missed time in 2022 with a back injury in August.

Due to the chronic nature of his injuries, the Dodgers may well treat his case differently than, say, Mookie Betts, a 30-year-old position player with no significant injury history who will play for Team USA at the event.

MORE: When does the World Baseball Classic start?

However, according to The Athletic, Kershaw’s issue has more to do with something far more bureaucratic: his insurance, an issue that forced Sonny Gray to miss the 2017 WBC.

“Definitely surprising,” added Kershaw, according to The Athletic. “I’m 100 per cent healthy so I didn’t think there would be any problems but things are happening. … They should make it easy for guys who want to play to play.”

Kershaw said he was backed by the Dodgers and GM Andrew Friedman, so if you’re going to believe it, it made sense that it was just a matter of not making the insurance work.

“Andrew has been great the whole time,” he said. “And said whatever you have to do to make it work if you want to do it. And obviously it’s not a team’s first choice to have their man play for someone else, but they were great at it.”

Will Clayton Kershaw start the 2023 season healthy?

Kershaw appears to be good for the Dodgers early in the season.

Kershaw, who has had eight Openings Day starts so far (Walker Buehler started Openings Day in 2022), may not start on Openings Day this year, but he should be healthy.

“It’s fine, I’ll be ready for the season, I’ll be ready to go,” he told reporters.

Kershaw started in one game last season in the playoffs, Game 2 of the NLDS against the Padres. He finished in a non-decision after working five innings in a losing effort.

MORE: Breakdown of Team USA’s 2023 World Baseball Classic roster

What will Team USA’s WBC rotation look like?

Although manager Mark DeRosa hasn’t announced any official rotation for Team USA, Kershaw’s loss is significant.

The leading arm now is arguably the White Sox’s Lance Lynn, who finished last season 8-7 with a 3.99 ERA.

Lynn is followed by Miles Mikolas, Merrill Kelly, Brady Singer, Kyle Freeland and 41-year-old Adam Wainwright. The mainstay of the Cardinals will be the veteran presence of the rotation if Kershaw is out.

Whether or not the Dodgers supported Kershaw’s international venture, they probably weren’t enthusiastic about it. The Dodgers have long been wary of his arm and have monitored his workload, and they have October aspirations this season.

“I really wanted to be a part of this group, probably my last chance to do it, so I really wanted to do it,” Kershaw said.