Clayton Kershaw is already coming out of retirement as he was named to the Team USA roster for the 2026 World Baseball Classic.
It’s going to mark Kershaw’s first time participating in the tournament after a failed attempt in 2023. He was primed to be part of Team USA that year but needed to withdraw from the WBC due to not being able to secure an insurance policy.
Kershaw was healthy at the time but to that point in his career already had a long history of back injuries and also suffered a significant left elbow/forearm strain in 2021.
Insurance coverage was necessary for Kershaw in the event he was injured during the WBC. The policy protects teams from having to pay a player for time missed in such situations.
CLAYTON KERSHAW!
The three-time World Series champ, 11-time All-Star, three-time NL Cy Young Award winner, and 2014 NL MVP will suit up one last time for Team USA at the World Baseball Classic! 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/CnUnpa1oeH
— USA Baseball (@USABaseball) January 15, 2026
Players can be deemed uninsurable for the WBC if a lengthy injury history exists and/or there was a considerable amount of time spent on the injured list the previous season.
Kershaw reportedly tried finding a workaround by securing a personal insurance policy. The Dodgers also could have simply waived the insurance requirement and allow the three-time Cy Young Award winner to play, but they didn’t want to take the risk.
Now Kershaw gets an opportunity to add onto what was a storybook ending to his illustrious 18-year career. His last pitch as a member of the Dodgers helped them escape a bases-loaded jam in the 12th inning of Game 3 of the World Series.
Kershaw was warming up in the bullpen during Game 7 and was on the verge of coming in if Yoshinobu Yamamoto had not induced a double play.
Clayton Kershaw being recruited for TV
Having already announced the 2025 season was going to be the last of his career, Kershaw’s retirement has included NBC/Peacock making an effort to hire him as an analyst for special event games.
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