Houston – Pitcher Clayton Kershaw will not be part of the United States roster for the World Baseball Classic semifinals. He will be replaced by reliever Jeff Hoffman.
The decision was made after the United States’ victory over Canada on Friday night, preparing for the semi-final match against the Dominican Republic on Sunday.
Kershaw, winner of three National League Cy Young awards, retired at the end of last year after playing 18 seasons in MLB. The left-hander, who had come out of retirement to play with Team USA, did not get to pitch in any of the team’s five games in the WBC.
Hoffman, 33, played last season with the Toronto Blue Jays, where he had a 9-7 record with a 4.37 ERA in 71 games.
Despite being removed from the roster, Kershaw will remain with the team during the tournament.
