*This content was translated by AI.
"This is real!" Retired Kershaw will participate in WBC in a surprise move → Will he face Ryu Hyun-jin
It's a sudden return of a legendary pitcher. Clayton Kershaw (38), the best left-hander of the Los Angeles Dodgers who left the mound after an era, announced his return to active duty through the World Baseball Classic (WBC) in March. The "starting confrontation" with Ryu Hyun-jin (39, Hanwha Eagles) that baseball fans have dreamed of could also come true.
Multiple media outlets, including Major League Baseball's official website MLB.com and ESPN, said on the 16th (Korea Standard Time), "Kershaw will participate in WBC." He will play for the U.S. national team. Kershaw, who is likely to join the Hall of Fame, said in unison, "We will use WBC as our last stage."
It was also a rather shocking report in the United States. In an interview with MLB Network in the U.S., Kershaw said, "I want to play the same role as insurance for the U.S. national team," adding, "I will prepare at any time for someone who needs a break or three consecutive games occur. I just want to be part of the U.S. national team. I wanted to do it for a long time, but I wanted to do great things together. It is interesting and wonderful to play for the national team. The coaching staff were good colleagues and friends. I'm really looking forward to it," he said.
Kershaw announced on September 19 last year that he would end his career after this season. Kershaw, who has played for 18 seasons in the Dodgers in the 2025 season since the 2008 season, is a "iron-hander" with 3,052 strikeouts. He is the first great player in the Dodgers franchise to surpass 3,000 strikeouts. In the last 2025 season, he played 23 regular league games (22 starts) and recorded 11 wins, 2 losses and a 3.36 ERA. His career total is 223 wins and 96 losses with a 2.53 ERA in 455 games. Kershaw's last appearance as a Dodgers player did not lose a point in the bottom of the 12th inning in Game 3 of the World Series last year in a crisis with two outs and a full base.
According to ESPN, Kershaw thought it was a request to join him as a pitching coach when he received a call from Mark Derosa (51), the coach of the U.S. national team. Kershaw said, "I wasn't very interested in throwing the ball again, to be honest. But I threw the ball 10-12 days ago and it was better than I thought. That's why I decided to participate."
Now the interest is whether Ryu Hyun-jin and Kershaw will face off. In the past, the two players had a strong friendship while playing the starting rotation when they were Dodgers. Ryu Hyun-jin is also very likely to be his last stage as a national team player. If the match is made with the pride of the two veterans, it is expected to show great interest not only in Korea but also in the United States. Reunions, not starting showdowns, can attract great attention.
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*This content was translated by AI.
