Legendary Dodgers left-hander Kershaw makes comeback to join Team USA, jokingly says "Don't make me face Ohtani"

Months after writing a fairy-tale ending to his Major League career, one of the greatest pitchers of this era is set to return to the field—Clayton Kershaw has confirmed he will represent the United States in this year's World Baseball Classic. The Dodgers legend was officially announced today by Team USA, marking his first participation in the tournament (he withdrew in 2023 due to insurance issues).

In an interview with MLB Network, Kershaw humorously said, "I told Coach Mark DeRosa that I just want to be an 'insurance policy'—whether someone needs a break, or I have to pitch back-to-back games, or even if I don’t pitch at all, I’m happy to be there. I just want to be part of this team. I’ve known for a long time that you just want to be involved in something great, and this team looks fun and extraordinary."

Team USA's tournament will kick off on March 6 at Houston’s Minute Maid Park, with their opening game against Brazil.

Now 37 years old, Kershaw retired last year after helping the Dodgers defend their World Series title. Over 18 seasons in Los Angeles, he won three Cy Young Awards, one MVP, led the league in ERA five times, and became the fourth left-hander in history to record 3,000 strikeouts. Of course, there are also his three World Series rings—an ideal crowning achievement for a player like Kershaw who values team honors over individual accolades, perfectly sealing his Hall of Fame legacy.

Kershaw’s final Major League appearance was legendary: in Game 3 of the World Series, bottom of the 12th inning, tied score with bases loaded and two outs, he entered at Dodger Stadium, battled through eight pitches, and got Nathan Lukes to ground out to escape the jam, heroically walking off the mound one last time.

After the Dodgers won the series in seven games, Kershaw originally planned to return to family life, but his competitive fire reignited. He revealed that when he got a call from DeRosa, he thought it was to join the coaching staff: "I started throwing about ten days ago, and I felt it wasn’t too bad—I should be okay."

After Team USA’s heartbreaking loss to Japan’s Samurai team in the 2023 Classic final, they are determined to avenge that defeat. General Manager Michael Hill and DeRosa have assembled a star-studded dream team. Although the roster features last year’s Cy Young starters Paul Skenes and Tarik Skubal, Kershaw may not start but his postseason experience from last year means he can step in whenever the team needs him.

As for the possibility of facing former teammate Shohei Ohtani in a matchup? Kershaw joked, "If we actually meet Japan in the final, that means something went really wrong... We have plenty of guys who can handle him, but it definitely shouldn’t be me."