Team USA adds 3 relievers in series of roster substitutions
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The first round of the 2026 World Baseball Classic provided a bevy of indelible moments and wall-to-wall thrills. We should expect more of the same once the quarterfinals begin on Friday.
Before the tournament restarts, some roster changes have been made. Here is a team-by-team rundown.
UNITED STATES
Off the roster:
Tigers LHP Tarik Skubal
Royals RHP Michael Wacha
Yankees LHP Ryan Yarbrough
Replacements:
Tigers RHP Will Vest
Blue Jays RHP Tyler Rogers
Yankees LHP Tim Hill
Skubal, who pitched three innings in the Americans’ win over Great Britain on March 7, initially left the door open to pitching for Team USA again in this tourney, but ultimately stuck with his original plan of returning to Tigers camp and sitting out the rest of the Classic.
The additions of Vest, Rogers and Hill give Team USA numerous options out of the bullpen in the later innings. Each reliever held opposing hitters to a .640 or lower OPS in the Majors last season.