Clayton Kershaw diminishes storybook Dodgers farewell with latest decision

Putting Clayton Kershaw in to close out the top of the 12th in Game 3 of the World Series was, in a word, risky. In another, maybe less kind word, it was ill-advised. He inherited the dirtiest of innings — bases loaded after an Alejandro Kirk walk, an questionable intentional walk for Andrés Giménez, and single for Davis Schneider, with Nathan Lukes (who had a .375 postseason OBP going into the game) coming up to the plate.

The last time Kershaw had been out on a mound in the postseason, he surrendered five runs (four earned) in just two innings against the Phillies in the only game of the NLDS the Dodgers lost.

But this wasn't Game 7, it was Game 3, and with the series knotted at a game apiece, Dave Roberts trusted his future Hall of Famer to get the job done. He got Lukes to ground out to end the inning. If the Dodgers had walked it off in the bottom of the frame, Kershaw would've gone into the scorebook as the winning pitcher in his last career appearance at Dodger Stadium.

We didn't see him for the rest of the World Series, but Kershaw still got his moment in the sun as part of the Dodgers' bullpen's heroic effort in Game 3. At the culmination of the Dodgers' victory parade back at Chavez Ravine, he declared himself not only a Dodger for life but a champion for life.

Pretty great note to go out on, right?

Dodgers fans sort of expected that Kershaw would indulge in the quiet life for a moment after retirement. He'd just wrapped up his 18th career season, and his wife was pregnant with their fifth child. He'd earned the right to take things easy.

Turns out, he's not quite ready to do that yet. On Thursday, Team USA announced that Kershaw would be suiting up for them in the upcoming World Baseball Classic.

Team USA announces Clayton Kershaw's participation in 2026 World Baseball Classic on the heels of his Dodgers retirement

Between this and reports that NBC is courting Kershaw for their Sunday Night Baseball programming beginning this upcoming season, it's pretty clear that he's not ready to step away from the game yet. He was slated to take part in the last edition of the WBC in 2023, but withdrew ahead of competition with health concerns.

He doesn't have an MLB team he has to stay healthy for anymore, though, and Team USA is absolutely stacked. Paul Skenes, Tarik Skubal, Logan Webb, and Joe Ryan had all confirmed their participation, and Kershaw will round out the rotation. That's three Cy Young winners (two multi-time Cy Young winners), a Rookie of the Year, and 18 All-Star appearances in one rotation (11 of which are Kershaw's).

Aaron Judge, Cal Raleigh, Bobby Witt Jr., Gunnar Henderson, and Kyle Schwarber are just a few of the position players who have also signed on.

We can't blame the guy for jumping on an opportunity like that, even if it makes his farewell to baseball — and the Dodgers specifically — fall a little flatter.