Nick Martinez leaves Team USA at WBC, returns to Padres camp

MIAMI – San Diego Padres pitcher Nick Martinez left the World Baseball Classic on Saturday after he wasn’t guaranteed to start for Team USA for the rest of the event.

United States manager Mark DeRosa said Martinez will return to Padres spring training to prepare for the start of the major league season.

“I didn’t feel that was fair to us as a whole or to him to guarantee that, regardless of result,” DeRosa said. “We’re trying to win this thing, so I thought it was best for everyone – and he agreed – that he would go back and get ready for opening day with San Diego.”

Lance Lynn will start for Team USA in Saturday’s game against Venezuela with a spot in the WBC semifinals on the line.

DeRosa said he decided to go with Lynn because the Chicago White Sox pitcher “threw the ball the best” so far in the tournament.

Lynn picked up the win against Canada last Monday, striking out six and allowing just two hits and one run in five innings.

Martinez started Game 2 of pool play against Mexico and was the losing pitcher, allowing five hits and three runs with two strikeouts in 2 2-3 innings of the 11-5 defeat.

ST. LOUIS — Miles Mikolas is sticking with the St. Louis Cardinals.

The right-hander signed a three-year, $55.75 million contract on Friday that will carry through the 2025 season.

The new deal replaces a $68 million, four-year contract signed in February 2019 that covered the 2020-23 seasons and was set to pay $15.75 million this year.

Mikolas will receive a $5 million signing bonus payable July 1 and will make $18.75 million in 2023 and $16 million in each of the following two seasons. Mikolas can earn a $250,000 bonus for winning a Cy Young Award, $50,000 for All-Star election or selection or winning a Gold Glove, $100,000 for League Championship Series MVP and $150,000 for World Series MVP.

Mikolas is scheduled to make the second opening-day start of his big league career next Thursday when the Cardinals host Toronto. Mikolas went 12-13 with a 3.29 ERA last season while helping St. Louis to the NL Central title.

“Miles stands among the top pitchers in the game today, and has continued to provide a steady presence for us both in the rotation and inside the clubhouse,” St. Louis general manager John Mozeliak said in a statement.

Mikolas is 45-40 with a 3.79 in 143 games with San Diego, Texas and St. Louis. He recently pitched six shutout innings in two appearances for the U.S. in the World Baseball Classic.