Los Angeles Dodgers legend Clayton Kershaw is postponing his retirement for a brief time as he will pitch for Team USA in the 2026 World Baseball Classic. Moreover, this year’s WBC will mark Kershaw’s first time participating, as he had to withdraw from the 2023 edition due to insurance issues.
One of his teammates on Team USA is San Diego Padres reliever Mason Miller. While the two players are rivals in the Dodgers-Padres rivalry, they are now teammates, and Miller shared his thoughts on Kershaw joining the team and becoming his teammate.
“Count me in the surprised boat, but that just adds to the further allure of the WBC,” Miller said on Jan. 15 during an appearance on “Foul Territory.” “You got guys coming out of the woodwork that you weren’t even expecting to go to an already star-studded cast of guys, and I’m just so stoked to go hang out with them and try to bring this thing home for our country.”
Clayton Kershaw Will Bring Experience to Team USA
The 37-year-old Kershaw retired on a high note after helping the Dodgers defend their World Series crown last year. Over 18 seasons in Los Angeles, he built a legacy as one of the game’s elite, capturing three Cy Young Awards, an MVP, and five ERA titles, while also becoming only the fourth left-hander to reach 3,000 strikeouts.
Despite the WBC coming early in the MLB calendar with players in spring training mode, Miller believes that because of how big each game is, someone like Kershaw, with all his experience, is definitely a plus for the team.
“I think it’s silly to sit here and say that guys are going to be in midseason form in March,” Miller added. “But it’s just rising to the occasion, and these guys are all competitors. A guy like Kershaw has pitched for how many years now and pitched so many big games, so he’s not scared of the big moments.
“And he wouldn’t be signing up to come to something like this if he didn’t see himself as being prepared for it. So I don’t think that’s something to worry about at all.”
Dodgers Legend Clayton Kershaw Ready to Be an Insurance Policy
With Kershaw now retired, the Dodgers legend jokingly told USA manager Mark DeRosa that he wants to be an insurance policy for pitchers during this competition.
“I just want to be the insurance policy, you know, 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,” Kershaw said in an interview on MLB Network on Jan. 15 (h/t MLB.com).
“I just want to be part of this group. I learned a long time ago, you just want to be a part of great things, and this team seems like a really fun, awesome group.”
Moreover, there’s a possibility that Kershaw faces his former teammate, Shohei Ohtani, which could make the veteran pitcher nervous.
“I think something will have gone terribly wrong if I have to pitch against Team Japan in the finals … I think we got plenty of guys to get that guy out and not me,” Kershaw added.
Dodgers Legend Clayton Kershaw Gets Strong Take After WBC News