Team USA makes roster changes ahead of World Baseball Classic quarterfinals
Several pitchers have been swapped out before Friday's bout with Canada
In advance of their match-up with Canada in the quarterfinals of the 2026 World Baseball Classic, Team USA has made some roster changes.
Such between-round pitching staff churn isn't unusual in the WBC, and that's indeed what the United States has done ahead of Friday's knockout game. Out is starter Tarik Skubal of the Tigers, as well as Michael Wacha of the Royals and Ryan Yarbrough of the Yankees, who pitched out of the bullpen during pool play. New to the active U.S. roster are right-handed relievers Will Vest of the Tigers and Tyler Rogers of the Blue Jays, along with lefty reliever Tim Hill of the Yankees.
The hard-throwing Vest, 30, is coming off a 2025 season in which he pitched to a 3.01 ERA with 75 strikeouts and 21 unintentional walks in 68 ⅔ innings. He enjoyed similar results in 2024 and 2023. The 35-year-old Rogers, who attacks hitters from drastically low arm angle, led the majors with 81 appearances last season and had a 1.98 ERA with 48 strikeouts and just seven walks in 77 ⅓ innings. Rogers also ranked in the 96th percentile among MLB pitchers in ground-ball rate. Hill, 36, had a 3.09 ERA in 67 innings for the Yankees in 2025, and he flashed even stronger ground-ball tendencies than Rogers did. Hill also limited left-handed batters to a microscopic OPS of .444.
Clay Holmes of the Mets and Matthew Boyd of the Cubs, who also came out of the bullpen for Team USA, are both expected to return to spring training with their respective teams to continue stretching out for the regular season. The recently retired Clayton Kershaw will be replaced after the quarterfinals, according to USA Today. Twins starter Joe Ryan, who was initially substituted off the roster due to a back injury, is reportedly an option to take one of those freed-up spots.
As expected, these moves mean Skubal's start for Team USA during pool play will be his only one of this WBC. Skubal wavered on that decision after his first start before admitting that he couldn't make the timing work in order to keep his Opening Day gig with the Tigers.
"I think the only way I'll be at peace with it is in Miami celebrating after we win the whole f---ing thing," he said earlier this week. "That'll give me some peace."
Logan Webb of the Giants will start against Canada, and if the U.S. advances then Skubal's fellow 2025 Cy Young winner, Paul Skenes of the Pirates, will go against either the Dominican Republic or Korea in the semis. If the U.S. makes it to the March 17 championship game, either Ryan or Nolan McLean of the Mets could make the start, according to MLB Network.
