Major League Baseball announced Sunday that San Diego Padres pitcher Nick Martinez will replace Los Angeles Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw on the 30-man roster for the United States for the World Baseball Classic.
Martinez went 4-4 with a 3.47 ERA in 47 games for San Diego last season, making 10 starts and collecting eight saves. He finalized a $26 million, three-year contract with the Padres in November.
Kershaw announced Friday that he wouldn’t be able to participate in the WBC. The three-time Cy Young Award winner didn’t specify the reasons that would prevent him from participating.