Clayton Kershaw’s scheduled WBC exit has Dodgers fans wondering what the point was

Dodgers legend Clayton Kershaw did a quick 180 from his retirement announcement last year when he announced that he would be on Team USA's World Baseball Classic roster. He called it a "bucket list item."

But we're past pool play and heading toward a Team USA vs. Team Canada quarterfinal matchup, and Kershaw hasn't pitched. The US kind of teased it during their last game of pool play against Team Italy, but David Bednar escaped a bases loaded jam and Kershaw stopped warming up.

After the USA eked into the quarterfinals thanks to an Italy victory over Mexico, manager Mark DeRosa, after confirming that Twins starter Joe Ryan would be added to the roster and Kershaw taken off if they advanced, was asked if he would be using Kershaw in any capacity against Canada."

DeRosa took a very long pause before saying, "I would love to get Clayton a little run, but it's win-or-go-home. We'll see. I've got 10 relievers in there that are raring to go, so I would think that would be a long shot, but we'll see."

DeRosa looked like a guy who saw Kershaw's postseason stats flash before his eyes and then had to try to say "no" in the nicest way possible.

So it begs the question, then: what was the point of Kershaw being there at all?

Mark DeRosa confirms Clayton Kershaw will leave Team USA after quarterfinal vs. Canada

The perhaps more cynical answer is pretty easy to land on. It was a PR stunt. Kershaw going for one last ride to represent his country, coming out of retirement and not caring about insurance concerns, mentoring the likes of Paul Skenes and Tarik Skubal — that's a stirring narrative.

Remember: DeRosa almost certainly didn't know that the US's game against Italy mattered, as much as he's insisted otherwise. Having Kershaw up in the bullpen was probably ceremonial, if he doesn't trust him enough to take even one inning in a knockout game.

It must be disappointing for Kershaw; it's certainly disappointing for Dodgers fans. As insistent as Kershaw was that he hoped he wouldn't be the guy who had to face Shohei Ohtani in a potential USA-Japan final, the non-zero chances of that happening was a Dodgers fan's dream.

But to not see Kershaw pitch at all — and more than that, to not even be an option past the quarterfinal? He may as well have just sat this one out.