Gunnar Henderson to start at third base over Bregman in WBC semifinal vs. Dominican Republic
gunnar henderson will start at third base over Alex Bregman for the United States in Sunday’s World Baseball Classic semifinal in Miami (ET), manager Mark DeRosa said, a move made because of the pitching matchup with Luis Severino. DeRosa pointed to matchup numbers and said, “Playing the hot hand right?” He added that the decision followed a conversation with Bregman and that Bregman accepted the benching.
Decision driven by Severino matchup and bat-to-bat numbers
DeRosa framed the decision as tactical: gunnar henderson has a strong head-to-head line against Severino, and that influenced the start. The manager said, “Gunnar’s got numbers against Severino. ” The roster shift also includes Will Smith starting at catcher over Cal Raleigh, with Raleigh hitless in nine plate appearances in the tournament.
Gunnar Henderson’s matchup numbers vs. Severino
gunnar henderson, identified in the lineup as a star shortstop for the Baltimore Orioles, is 7 for 9 in his career against the right-handed Severino, with a home run, a double and four RBIs. In World Baseball Classic play, gunnar henderson has gone 5 for 10 with a double and a homer in two games. By contrast, Alex Bregman is 5 for 21 in the regular season against Severino with one homer and three RBIs, and Bregman is 2 for 11 in four games in this Classic.
Reactions, posture and tournament stakes
DeRosa said he spoke with Bregman on Saturday (ET) and that Bregman was accepting of the move. “These guys like the lineup out the night before, so I was able to do that, and he was good with it, ” DeRosa said. “It’s game on. ” Dominican manager Albert Pujols described the U. S. -Dominican clash as power versus power and singled out Paul Skenes for praise, calling Skenes one of the best pitchers today in the major leagues.
Where this leaves both teams and what comes next
The Dominican team enters the semifinal unbeaten at 5-0, having outscored opponents 51-10 while batting. 312 and matching a WBC single-tournament mark with 14 homers. Pujols said Sandy Alcantara will start on Tuesday if the Dominicans reach the final, regardless of opponent. Italy and Venezuela meet in the other semifinal Monday night.
Sunday’s semifinal in Miami (ET) pits a U. S. lineup adjusted for matchup advantage against a Dominican lineup that has been the tournament’s most prolific offensive unit. The decision to start gunnar henderson at third base is framed around those matchups and the immediate game plan; with pitching and lineup decisions already set, attention will turn to in-game performance and how quickly managers adjust if the matchup story changes. gunnar henderson’s role in this lineup will be one of the primary storylines when play begins Sunday (ET).
