"Kershaw's role on Team USA was described by Jesse Rogers of ESPN as a 'break glass in case of emergency' player. He was spotted warming up in Team USA's eventual loss to Team Italy on Tuesday, though he never was called to the mound. He was expected to only be used in blowouts."
"Barring an appearance on Friday, Kershaw's only time pitching for Team USA will be in an exhibition game against the Colorado Rockies. It didn't go well. He gave up a 414-foot home run, though he did get a standing ovation from the fans."
"Ryan has 114 MLB starts under his belt, notching a career ERA of 3.79 and WHIP of 1.063. Those numbers pale a bit in comparison to Kershaw's career ERA of 2.53 and WHIP of 1.018, but Kershaw is 37 years old to Ryan's 29."
Clayton Kershaw served as a reserve pitcher for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic, functioning as an emergency option rather than a regular contributor. He was spotted warming up during the loss to Italy on Tuesday but never entered the game. His only pitching appearance came in an exhibition game against the Colorado Rockies, where he surrendered a 414-foot home run. After Friday's quarterfinal against Canada, Kershaw's WBC tenure concludes, representing his likely final game as a professional player. Joe Ryan of the Minnesota Twins replaces him on the roster, bringing younger arms and recent MLB experience to support Team USA's tournament run.
Read at Dodgers Nation
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