Bradley withdraws from Team Mexico to focus on prep with Twins

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Twins right-hander Taj Bradley has elected to withdraw from the World Baseball Classic, choosing instead to focus on preparing for his first full season with the team. Bradley had been slated to pitch for Mexico in the upcoming event.

“He just approached me and said that he would like to stay in camp and be with the club,” said manager Derek Shelton, “and I just listened to him -- because we committed to him playing and he committed to playing -- and let him express himself. And I think the biggest thing was he felt his priority should be in this camp. He stated, new manager, new staff to some extent, new catcher in terms of [Victor] Caratini and he just felt that the best use of his workload during Spring Training was going to be to be in our camp. So we supported him in terms of his decision.”

The Twins acquired Bradley from the Rays for Griffin Jax at the Trade Deadline last year, believing he could regain the form that made him one of baseball’s most promising young pitchers just two years ago. He was inconsistent after the deal (6.61 ERA in six starts), but he closed the year with an excellent start against the Rangers and also looked strong in his first start of Spring Training.

Bradley is likely to begin the year as the third or fourth starter for a team that will lean on its rotation heavily if it’s going to defy expectations and return to the postseason.

Minnesota has gone from three of its starting pitchers appearing in the Classic to, possibly, none of them. Pablo López underwent season-ending Tommy John surgery on Wednesday for a right elbow injury and Joe Ryan’s status for the event is in question as he recuperates from some lower back inflammation.