Lachemann leaves US staff for personal issue

MIAMI -- Team USA bullpen coach Marcel Lachemann has left the team to go home to California because of a personal issue and may not return to the club, said Joe Garagiola Jr., the team's general manager.

Lachemann, who has been with U.S. baseball teams for years in international competition, left the World Baseball Classic on Tuesday and certainly is not returning to Marlins Park before Pool 2 ends here on Saturday, Garagiola said.

It's also questionable whether he'll rejoin the team on Sunday in San Francisco if the U.S. qualifies for the semifinals at AT&T Park. The U.S. would have to win a second game in this bracket to move on to the final round.

Lachemann, 71, has been a pitcher, coach and manager in his long big league career. He was added by manager Joe Torre to the U.S. staff late last year to aid pitching coach Greg Maddux, the winner of 355 games and a certain Hall of Famer, who is acting in that capacity for the first time.

The rest of the U.S. staff includes Larry Bowa, Willie Randolph, Gerald Perry and Dale Murphy.