Clayton Kershaw’s charitable and humanitarian efforts put him in Havana, Cuba on Tuesday as part of Major League Baseball’s goodwill tour.
Kershaw joined MLB executives and a handful of Cuban natives who returned to the island for the first time since their respective defections.
The group includes Kershaw’s Los Angeles Dodgers teammate Yasiel Puig, plus Jose Abreu and Alexei Ramirez of the Chicago White Sox, and Brayan Pena of the St. Louis Cardinals, among others.
Upon landing in Cuba, players were taken to Hotel Nacional to commence their three-day trip. The day included Cuban natives reuniting with family members and a press conference.
And for Kershaw, a quick throwing session, which was captured by The Players’ Tribune:
The visit to Cuba is baseball’s first since the Baltimore Orioles faced Cuba’s national team in Havana in 1999. MLB is hopeful a move toward diplomatic relations being re-established between the United States and Cuba will coincide with the opportunity to stage games on the island.
MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said recently he is hopeful to play Spring Training games in Cuba next year. Scheduled as part of the tour are two children’s clinics and a charity event in conjunction with Caritas Cubana, a U.S.-based nongovernmental provider of services to Cuba.
