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Team USA makes roster moves after advancing in WBC
Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Team USA makes roster moves after advancing in World Baseball Classic

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports
By Matt Wadleigh  |  Last updated Mar 13, 2026 9:02 AM ET

It was a close call, but Team USA is moving on to the quarterfinals of the World Baseball Classic.

The United States lost to Italy 8-6 on Tuesday in pool play, but Italy’s 9-1 win over Mexico sent Team USA into the quarterfinals.

It begins on Friday as Team USA faces Canada, but they announced a series of roster moves on Thursday, including Detroit Tigers star Tarik Skubal leaving the team, which was expected.

Skubal is the big name here, but the Tigers ace was always expected to make just one start, although he considered staying longer before announcing he would go back to camp prior to the game against Mexico.

New York Mets  pitcher Clay Holmes is also leaving to return to spring training, but a replacement for Holmes hasn’t been announced yet.

Holmes pitched three innings and struck out six batters against Great Britain on Saturday, and he got the win.

Team USA advancing to the quarterfinals was a close call, and manager Mark DeRosa went viral for saying that he thought the USA had already advanced despite the loss to Mexico.

But Italy played hero for the United States by knocking off Mexico and sending the Americans into the quarterfinal round.

Team USA faces Canada on Friday at 8 p.m. ET at Daikin Park in Houston, Texas.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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