The Twins’ starting pitcher, Taj Bradley, is the latest one reportedly skipping the WBC 2026 for the sake of his MLB duty. With Bradley touted as the elite arm for Mexico in the WBC, his miss would surely haunt the team.

Mexico had a successful run in the 2023 WBC before they went down against Japan in the semifinals. So, they were expected to go beyond this time, but the sudden omission of Bradley is now what made their plans go for a toss.

What’s more surprising is that Bradley didn’t skip the global event for insurance-like issues that caused a few other names to miss. Bradley’s late decision to skip the WBC is attributed to the Twins’ injury scene and increased responsibility. Reportedly, the Twins faced a huge challenge after Pablo López’s season-ending injury.

If you remember, the Twins picked Bradley up from the Rays at last year’s trade deadline. They hoped he could rediscover the form that once made him one of the game’s most exciting young pitchers. However, it was a rollercoaster ride for him last year with a 6.61 ERA. Although he finished last season with a high after a strong performance against the Rangers.

Bradley’s momentum from the last leg of 2025 is evident even in the ongoing spring season, and clearly, the man doesn’t want to disrupt that progress. Now, after López’s injury, his role in the Twins’ rotation is becoming more important, especially since he is set to become a part of the Twins’ starting rotation.

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From the Twins’ perspective, it’s hard not to see this as a positive! Manager Derek Shelton even mentioned that Bradley approached him directly, saying he wanted to stay with the team and remain in camp.

So now, with Bradley opting out of the WBC, Minnesota has gone from potentially having three starters in the Classic to possibly none at all. That’ surely a pretty big shift, but one that underscores how focused Bradley is on the Twins right now.

Starting pitchers face the maximum risk at the WBC

The reasons behind starters finding it difficult to acquire the insurance to play the WBC, MLB teams restricting their WBC stint, and a few voluntarily walking off all lead to one reason: Increased risk of injury!

Remember Shohei Ohtani’s injury after the 2023 WBC?

After his heroics that helped Japan win the 2023 WBC, Ohtani faced TJ surgery, and it took him till the middle of 2025 to return to pitching. Still, Ohtani contributed to the Dodgers with his hitting all this time, but what about the Twins, who are already suffering from injuries? So, more than preferring MLB over the WBC. The issue is about managing workload in view of MLB’s 162-game grind.

With all the high-intensity games in March and tight schedules, starting pitchers are more prone to overwork and injuries. Yes, the WBC follows strict pitch count and rest requirements for the pitchers that vary from the standard MLB games. This includes a maximum of 65 pitches per arm in the pool game, 80 pitches per game in the quarterfinals, and 95 pitches per game in the championship.

Still, losing out on the main arms for the WBC seems very costly for the MLB teams and the players. Bradley is just the latest example of that larger concern.