The Americans felt some relief after their defeat to Italy in the Pool B game. But worries still loom over the team as they advance to the knockouts via a tiebreaker. Tarik Skubal leaves the national camp to address MLB duties. And manager Mark DeRosa doesn’t shy away from an honest reaction.

Team USA’s 8-6 loss to Italy left the entire nation on its toes. And before they could secure a knockout spot, they received another blow via Skubal. The two-time Cy Young winner had to leave the USA roster. He joined the Detroit Tigers on March 10 to be featured on Opening Day. Manager DeRosa is forced to work around it as they face bigger challenges ahead.

But he isn’t too critical of Skubal’s exit as he is familiar with the conditions. “And I completely understand that,” DeRosa said. “There’s a lot of pressure from the parent clubs to get these guys ramped up for the start of the season,” he told AP. 

But Skubal isn’t the only one. Matthew Boyd is named in the Cubs’ Opening Day starter plan. Michael Wacha returned to the Royals, and Clay Holmes rejoined the Mets in spring training. Even a non-ace like Ryan Yarbrough had to leave for the Yankees’ spring training. 

And Team USA isn’t the only standalone sufferer of the MLB pressure. Ramón Urías and Jose Urquidy left the Mexico camp pre-tournament to join their respective major league clubs. 

MLB clubs control how much the players can pitch before the season starts. The workload rules are designed to help the pitchers avoid injury before Opening Day. That’s why so many players exit the national camps. 

So Mark DeRosa revamped the roster to address the stakes. “The game’s got to dictate now. Pool play is a different animal. Trying to weave our way through it from a pitching standpoint, all bets are off now,” he said.

With Logan Webb starting on the mound, DeRosa now has Tim Hill, Will Vest, and Tyler Rogers strengthening the USA bullpen. Hill is a veteran lefty specialist who is expected to pitch the late innings in the knockouts. Rogers’ submarine-style pitching makes him a reliever with great leverage. Vest can take care of the closer duties.

These changes dictate how much of a “wake-up call” the pool stage defeat has been for DeRosa. But what about the pitcher at the center of this decision? Skubal isn’t really happy leaving his national teammates to face the San Diego Padres on March 26.

Mark DeRosa accepts the exit but Tarik Skubal hasn’t found his peace

Skubal had sleepless nights after the decision. He had emotional conversations with his teammates, including Justin Verlander, his teammate from the Tigers, and even with his agent Scott Boras, about the decision. “One of the tougher decisions I’ve made in my career,” he referred to his exit from the USA roster. 

There was a surge of patriotism and team emotion after his involvement in the win against Great Britain. But he had to go back to his pre-tournament plans only. He shook his head when asked if he was able to make peace with the decision. 

“Obviously, when I got here, my emotions kind of changed a little bit. My thought process changed a little bit. I tried to make it work, but just couldn’t. I hate it,” he said.

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There was a lot of criticism regarding his exit following the USA’s only defeat in the pool stage. He had to face some not-so-kind comments on social media. He tried to address the backlash, saying, “It’s just not fair. But that’s part of the business. It’s part of the game.”

He emphasized how hard it was for him and how much he tried. “I love America. I love our country and love everything it stands for,” Skubal said.

He did promise to be back for future international plays and in a cheerleader role as well. But for now, DeRosa has to work with the fact that Skubal isn’t there in the roster anymore, along with a few others who opted for MLB duties. But his attitude towards changes speaks volumes. And that’s the kind of positivism the people want to see from the Red, White, and Blue.