Clayton Kershaw has officially hung up his cleats again, but he will have a chance to get another ring if Team USA wins the World Baseball Classic. The former Los Angeles Dodgers veteran, who retired from the MLB after last season’s World Series victory, was replaced on the roster ahead of the semifinals.

Kershaw was initially invited by manager Mark DeRosa to provide some much-needed experience to the American team. Despite not making an appearance during the tournament, the three-time Cy Young winner used only positive adjectives to describe his participation.

“Well, it’s always been to put ‘Team USA’ across my chest, be able to represent the country, and you see the group of guys that signed up for it. So I think it’s the same for everybody—just to be able to be in the clubhouse, be able to hang out.

“Obviously, winning is super important to everybody, and intensity and all that stuff, but for me, just to be a fly on the wall and get to hang out, it’s been a blast.”

The only action Kershaw received in Team USA colors was during their pre-tournament exhibition game against the Colorado Rockies. He was seen warming up during the seventh-inning stretch of their game against Team Italy, but didn’t end up taking the mound.

Surviving a scare, the Americans made it to the quarterfinals, where they faced Team Canada on Friday. In a closely fought encounter, Team USA took a 5-3 win to book a semi-final date on Sunday with the tournament’s best team so far, the Dominican Republic.

Clayton Kershaw reassures Team USA’s willingness to win

For a number of players on the United States roster, winning the World Series has been the ultimate goal. Whether that dream of theirs has been fulfilled or not, all of them are currently doing their best to win an event that can be held in equal regard, according to Kershaw, speaking to MLB.com’s Anthony Castrovince on Friday.

“The guys that I talked to that had done this before told me that it really feels like a playoff atmosphere and that the intensity is real,” Kershaw said. “You can see by the guys that have signed up. They didn’t just do it for fun. They want to win.

“And the intensity and atmosphere has been a blast. I put it in a separate bucket from the World Series, just because it’s different. But the intensity and atmosphere and the desire to win, all those elements are there.”

Taking Kershaw’s place in the roster is Toronto Blue Jays reliever Jeff Hoffman, who pitched 71 games last season and finished with a 4.37 ERA. Kershaw, however, is expected to remain in the clubhouse for the semifinals and, subject to qualification, the championship game.