Clayton Kershaw retired from Major League Baseball at the end of the 2025 season after 18 years with the Los Angeles Dodgers, but the pitcher will represent the United States at the World Baseball Classic.
Kershaw told MLB Network he accepted the offer from Team USA manager Mark DeRosa after he started throwing 10-12 days ago and didn’t “feel terrible,” according to Jack Harris of the California Post.
“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 added, according to Harris. “I just want to be part of this group. I learned a long time ago, you just want to be part of great things. And this team seems like a really fun, awesome group.”