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By Valentina Martinez
Contributing Sports Writer
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Los Angeles Dodgers star Clayton Kershaw is set to make his World Baseball Classic debut and his role for Team USA in 2026 likely won't be in the starting rotation.
More news: Dodgers’ Clayton Kershaw Reveals How He Was Recruited to Team USA for WBC
The Athletic's Andy McCullough revealed the future Hall of Famer is expected to come out of the bullpen during the tournament in March.
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"Kershaw figures to be part of the bullpen, as he was during the Dodgers’ World Series run this past October," McCullough writes.
While Kershaw is a three-time Cy Young winner, Team USA's starting rotation already features its staples with Cy Young winners Tarik Skubal and Paul Skenes, San Francisco Giants ace Logan Webb, Minnesota Twins starter Joe Ryan, and New York Mets pitcher Clay Holmes.
However, Kershaw is simply eager to join the team in its quest of its first WBC championship since 2017.
"I just want to be the insurance policy, 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. I just want to be apart of this group. I learned a long time ago, you just want to be apart of great things," Kershaw said in a recent appearance on MLB Network.
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More news: Dodgers Put on Notice by Rival NL West Manager Ahead of 2026 Season
The former Dodgers star originally believed Team USA manager Mark DeRosa had called to recruit him in a coaching capacity for the WBC.
"DeRo called me and I missed his call and he said call me back about the WBC. I thought he wanted me to coach," Kershaw laughed. "Then he mentioned playing again, and I'm going to be honest, I didn't have a whole lot of interest in picking up a baseball again. But I started throwing 10-12 days ago, and it doesn’t feel terrible. So I think I’ll be OK."
Kershaw announced he would retire at the end of the 2025 season after 18 illustrious seasons with the Dodgers. But he will be adding one more item to his storied resume with the WBC, which he has never participated in before.
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