Report: Roark commits to pitch for Team USA in WBC

By Mark Zuckerman

Nationals

January 11, 2017, 8:17am

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Max Scherzer won't be pitching for Team USA this spring, but it appears Tanner Roark will wear the stars and stripes.

Roark has committed to pitch for the American squad in the World Baseball Classic, according to MLB Network's Jon Morosi.

The Nationals right-hander will leave the club in early March and miss at least a week while Team USA competes in the tournament's first round in Miami. He would then potentially travel to the West Coast for second-round games in San Diego and the championship round in Los Angeles later in March.

The news of Roark's commitment comes only two days after Scherzer had to pull out of the WBC due to a stress fracture in the knuckle of his right ring finger, an injury Scherzer says he sustained in August and one that won't prevent him from missing any part of spring training.

According to Morosi, though, Roark was invited to pitch for Team USA before the Scherzer injury decision.

Without drawing the attention or credit afforded to high-profile teammates Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg, Roark has been one of the National League's best pitchers for several seasons. His career 3.01 ERA ranks eighth among all major leaguers with at least 500 innings pitched since 2013.

Roark now joins second baseman Daniel Murphy as members of the Nationals who have committed to playing for Team USA in the WBC. Reliever Oliver Perez has committed to pitch for Mexico.