SAN FRANCISCO — Alex Vesia tried to cross an item off his bucket list this spring. It’s still on the list.
In the leadup to the 2026 World Baseball Classic, the Dodgers’ left-hander let Team USA officials know he would be interested in pitching for them. Wearing the USA jersey in competition was something Vesia had thought about for a long time.
“I’ve been telling them for the last two years, ‘I want to play. I want to play. I want to play,’” Vesia said. “Team USA was always such a cool concept. I was never good enough to even come close, trying out for 10-U (10-and-under teams), 12-U, 15-U, whatever. I just would have loved to have played for Team USA. It just never worked out.”
It didn’t work out this time either. As Team USA was putting together its roster, Vesia was only on the fringes.
“They just pretty much said I was going to be a backup if anything. That was pretty much it,” he said. “Talking with my dad and with Kay (his wife), I was just, ‘We have too much riding on this season to be 50/50. Either I’m all in or I’m all out.’ We ended up making the decision that I was out.”
Team USA wound up going with Garrett Cleavinger and Gabe Speier as left-handed relievers – and another guy.
“Speier and Clevenger were the two and then they had this old man named ‘Clayton Kershaw.’ Never heard of him,” Vesia joked.
“It’s all good, man. I’ve known Clev for a long time. We’ve worked out with each other in Arizona. We’re pretty cool. And then I don’t know anything about Speier but that’s cool. Then Kersh – it was all good.”
The 30-year-old Vesia can become a free agent for the first time next winter – part of what he has “riding” on this season. And after missing last year’s World Series due to the tragic death of his newborn daughter, he didn’t want to compromise his preparations for this year’s pursuit of a three-peat.
“Exactly,” he said. “The way I go about my business from the start of spring training to the first game of the season, having the WBC in the middle would have been a factor and it would have dictated how we went about certain things. With the way I felt coming into spring training and into spring training games and now this first month of the season, I think I made the right decision.”
Indeed. Vesia has been pitching at an elite level so far this season. He faced 31 batters in his first 10 appearances, struck out 10, allowed just two hits and walked three.
The WBC is moving back to a four-year cycle and the next one is not scheduled until 2030. But it will still be on Vesia’s bucket list.
“Yeah, sure. I’m going to put my name in the hat,” he said. “If there’s other options, that’s alright with me. Fair enough.”
ONE WAY
Shohei Ohtani was back to two-way duty against the San Francisco Giants on Wednesday. In his previous pitching start, he did not hit – the first time since May 2021. Getting hit by a pitch in the back of the shoulder two days earlier prompted that.
Since joining the Dodgers and returning from his second Tommy John surgery, Ohtani has not been as much of a threat at the plate on days when he pitches. In 16 starts for the Dodgers before Wednesday, he hit .213 (13 for 61) with two doubles, two triples and four home runs while striking out 24 times. Three of those extra-base hits came in his first two starts last season when he pitched just one inning.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts was asked before Wednesday’s game if that might prompt the Dodgers to ask less of Ohtani on days when he pitches and not also use him at DH.
“We haven’t had that conversation,” Roberts said. “I think if you look at the overall numbers it’s certainly something. I still feel really good about putting his name in the lineup. I know the last time I chose not to have him hit and just pitch. I am open to it. We’ll see.
“It’s certainly something that we’ve flagged. I think you have to look at – what’s the option? In years past or last year, you have to weigh who’s a different option. At least now you can say Dalton (Rushing) is swinging a good bat and to keep him consistently getting at-bats could be helpful. Like I said, I’m going to continue to keep my eye on it.”
SNELL START
Blake Snell made his first start of the year on a minor-league rehabilitation assignment with Class-A Ontario in San Jose on Wednesday.
The left-hander pitched one inning and faced four batters in the second inning without recording an out. There were two errors and two hits that extended the second inning and Snell was pulled after throwing 32 pitches in all.
He walked a batter and gave up three hits.
UP NEXT
Dodgers (RHP Tyler Glasnow, 2-0, 3.24 ERA) at Giants (RHP Logan Webb, 2-2, 5.40 ERA), Thursday, 12:45 p.m., SportsNet LA, 570 AM