Tarik Skubal, Michael Wacha and Ryan Yarbrough are off the Team USA roster for the elimination round of the World Baseball Classic.
Manager Mark DeRosa is turning to three relief pitchers as Skubal returns to spring training with the Detroit Tigers according to his plan shared before the tournament began.
Tigers right-hander Will Vest, Blue Jays righty Tyler Rogers and Yankees left-hander Tim Hill are joining the roster ahead of the WBC quarterfinals.
Multiple reports also indicated that left-hander Clayton Kershaw will come off the roster after Friday’s quarterfinal game against Canada if Team USA advances. Kershaw has not yet pitched in the tournament.
USA Today reported that Kershaw will be replaced by Minnesota Twins right-hander Joe Ryan, who would be lined up to potentially start in the WBC championship game.
Skubal pitched three innings in his only WBC appearance, a victory over Great Britain.
All three relievers expand the number of late-game options for DeRosa with the potential for Team USA to play three games beginning Friday in the quarterfinals against Canada.
Vest, 30, is a Houston native headed home for the quarterfinals from Tigers’ camp in Florida. He had 23 saves last season with an ERA of 3.20 ERA in 250 1/3 career innings for the Tigers.
Rogers, 35, appeared in 81 games last season and had a 1.98 ERA with 48 strikeouts in 77 1/3 innings.
Hill, 36, had a 3.09 ERA with the Yankees last season.
–Field Level Media
