Alden GonzalezESPN Staff Writer3:10 PM ET3 Minute Read
PHOENIX — Clayton Kershaw will not be able to attend the upcoming World Baseball Classic, the longtime Los Angeles Dodgers ace revealed in an interview with reporters Friday afternoon, often calling the sudden turn of events “disappointing.”
Kershaw declined to give details, but a source with knowledge of the situation said he was unable to get insurance on his contract, likely because of his history of back injuries. Kershaw, who turns 35 next month, said he is nonetheless “100 percent healthy” and has the Dodgers’ full support throughout the process.
“Super disappointing,” said Kershaw. “We tried many different things. All sides really tried to make it work. There’s nothing wrong with me, it just didn’t work out. I really wanted to do it, I really wanted to be a part of this group. Probably my last chance, so I really wanted to do it. It just didn’t work out for a number of reasons. Disappointing but it’s ok, I’ll be ready for the season, ready to go.
Teams require their 40-strong players to insure their contracts before participating in the World Baseball Classic to protect them in the event of an injury during the tournament. The vast majority of these cases are handled by a private company that works with Major League Baseball, but players may turn to other third parties in hopes of being insured. Kershaw, a source familiar with the process, has spent at least the past few weeks exploring various avenues before finally deciding on Friday that it might not be feasible.
Kershaw, a nine-time All-Star and three-time Cy Young Award winner, has spent time on the injured list with back problems in five of the last seven seasons and was most recently absent for about a month on two separate occasions in 2022.
Kershaw remained vague when asked why he wouldn’t be in the tournament, saying: “There were a few factors that made it difficult for me to play and I’ve tried to sort it out myself, tried to work on it it with MLB, the union, the team. Everyone worked hard to make it work and I couldn’t.”
The World Baseball Classic — a 20-country round-robin tournament last played in 2017 — runs March 8-21, culminating in Miami. Announced as part of a stacked Team USA roster when the rosters were unveiled on February 9, Kershaw joined captain Mike Trout as well as other stars including Mookie Betts, Nolan Arenado, Paul Goldschmidt, Trea Turner, Will Smith, Pete Alonso and Tim Anderson and Adam Wainwright, among others.
“It’s almost like an All-Star game with meaning,” Kershaw said. “I got really excited.”
Kershaw will play the 2023 season on a one-year contract that will net him $20 million. The future Hall of Famer left-hander has signed two consecutive one-year deals because he didn’t want to commit to playing beyond those upcoming seasons.
Kershaw said he hadn’t given much thought to attending the World Baseball Classic before, instead focusing on preparing for the upcoming major league season. This year, however, the structure of the tournament and his health over the winter – not to mention the fact that he is in the late stages of his career – made him want to take part.
“I’m frustrated,” Kershaw said. “They should make it easy for people who want to play to play. Of course, if the team doesn’t want you to play, that’s one thing. But if you have the blessing of the team like I do, it should be easier. You should probably give it a try.”