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Sonny Gray not eligible for WBC after being denied insurance coverage
Oakland A’s ace Sonny Gray has been forced to withdraw from the World Baseball Classic after being denied insurance coverage for the event.
Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports that the ruling stems from Gray’s time spent on the disabled list last season. Gray was on the DL for more than 60 days last year and he didn’t play in more than 10 innings after coming off the DL at the end of the season. That put him in the category of a “chronic condition player,” which prevented him from qualifying.
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“I know Sonny’s bummed,” Oakland general manager David Forst said Sunday. “He wanted to pitch and we were excited to let him do that.
“It’s not up to us or MLB, it’s up to the insurance company,” Forst added. “MLB pushed the issue and asked the insurance carrier to let him pitch, and they didn’t do it.”
Earlier this spring, Blue Jays catcher Russell Martin was denied eligibility for the WBC based on similar criteria.
It’s not unprecedented, but it’s still disappointing. Particularly for Gray, who’s expressed how healthy and strong he feels entering camp. The trapezius and forearm issues that hampered him last season are far behind him, but the guidelines are obviously very strict and in this instance unforgiving.
In the end though, it could end up being a positive for Gray. The WBC doesn’t exactly allow pitchers to ease back into the action. Given the stressful innings and unpredictable situations he was likely to face there, he’s probably better off going through a full and uninterrupted camp. There, he’ll be able to pace himself a little more while the A’s keep a watchful eye over him. That should give him the best possible preparation for the season ahead.
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Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at bigleaguestew@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
