The Dallas native has spent time on the injured list in seven consecutive seasons.
“All sides really really tried to make it work, and nothing’s wrong with me,” the three-time NL Cy Young Award winner said, per The Athletic. “It just didn’t work out. I really wanted to do it, really wanted to be part of that group. Probably my last chance to get to do it.”
This year’s WBC will be the fifth event since it started in 2006 (the same year Kershaw was selected seventh overall by Los Angeles in the MLB June Amateur Draft). By the second tournament in 2009, the now nine-time All-Star hadn’t yet established himself as an elite big-league arm, wasn’t on the roster in 2013 (which preceded his second NL Cy Young Award) and didn’t pitch on the team in 2017 following an injury-plagued 2016 campaign.
The upcoming WBC was originally scheduled for 2021 but was canceled in May 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to the report, up until the final decision, Kershaw was “lobbying to pitch in the event” and “sought out taking his own personal policy.”
Per The Athletic, insurance coverage is required for players to receive clearance in the WBC, and “securing that coverage becomes more difficult with players who have extensive injury histories.”
Two-time All-Star starting pitcher Sonny Gray had to miss the 2017 showcase after he couldn’t get clearance. Texas Rangers beat reporter Levi Weaver of The Athletic noted that 2021 All-Star pitcher Nathan Eovaldi faced a similar situation to Kershaw and is also off of Team USA’s roster.
“There were some factors that were making it hard for me to play,” Kershaw said. “I tried to work it out on my own, tried to work it out with MLB, the union. Everybody worked hard to try and make it work. Just wasn’t able to…
“(It’s) definitely surprising. I’m 100 percent healthy, so I didn’t think there’d be any issues but things happen. … I’m frustrated. They should make it easy for guys that want to play to play.”
While the 2014 NL MVP won’t make his Team USA debut in March, Dodgers fans got an early Christmas gift two months ago when Kershaw re-signed with the franchise on a one-year, $20 million contract, a deal that includes a $5 million signing bonus.
