Los Angeles Dodgers veteran left-handed pitcher Clayton Kershaw (35) has canceled his first World Baseball Classic (WBC) appearance. Kershaw met with reporters at the Dodgers Spring Camp Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, USA on the 18th and said, “I tried with the MLB Secretariat, the players’ union, and the team, and I tried to solve it myself, but I couldn’t.” revealed

Kershaw’s absence was due to insurance. According to the LA Times, etc., big league players participate in the WBC with permission from the club on the premise of taking out insurance against injuries. Insurance companies review each player’s medical records to determine whether or not they can be covered. There are about four reasons for disqualification, and one of them is said to be a chronic disease. The insurance company determined that Kershaw’s injuries were chronic. Kershaw was constantly plagued by back injuries throughout his playing career. Last season, he suffered a back injury and was placed on the disabled list.

Miguel Cabrera (40, Venezuela), a veteran hitter of the Detroit Tigers, was also denied insurance for the same reason, but the Tigers forced Cabrera’s appearance as an exception. The American media cites the physical difference between a pitcher and a hitter as the reason. In fact, according to a study by the University of Washington in the United States, big league pitchers who participated in the WBC in 2017 missed 4.07 more days than pitchers who did not participate. On the other hand, the batter did not differ by less than a day. The team situation is also different. The Dodgers, which are looking to win this season, are expecting a lot from Kershaw. The Tigers, on the other hand, are far from the postseason and Cabrera will retire at the end of the year. 슬롯사이트

In addition to Kershaw, Nathan Ivaldi (USA) of the Texas Rangers and Brusdar Graterol (Venezuela) of the Dodgers also failed to participate in the WBC because they were not covered by insurance. An MLB official said, “All players must be insured to compete in the WBC, and Kershaw is just one of several players who did not pass the insurance company’s review.”

Kershaw reportedly looked into purchasing his own insurance for the tournament, but eventually gave up because the insurance premiums were exorbitantly high. He said, “I am 100% healthy. Very disappointing. I really wanted to run, but I was frustrated.” The LA Times said, “Kershaw has to watch the WBC game at Camelback Ranch (the Dodgers’ spring camp) even though he tried hard to play in the WBC.”