Tigers reliever earns surprise WBC roster chance after Team USA's lucky break

No one was more relieved than Mark DeRosa when Team Italy beat Team Mexico on Wednesday night to clinch a spot in the quarterfinals and bring Team USA along with them. Italy had to win, or Mexico had to win while only scoring or allowing a certain amount of runs, for the US to advance.

DeRosa clearly didn't know that, though. Although his very public gaffe won't soon be forgotten, for now the US can just keep trucking along. Their quarterfinal game against Canada will take place on Friday night at 8 PM EST.

A number of pitchers are taking their leave and going back to their respective spring trainings, which means that a reinforcements are being called in. One of them is Tigers reliever Will Vest. He, along with Tyler Rogers and Tim Hill, are being added to Team USA's roster as Tarik Skubal, Michael Wacha, and Ryan Yarbrough depart.

Vest was always on the reserve list, but now he's getting a real opportunity to shine. He'll leave Tigers spring training just as Kenley Jansen returns from Team Netherlands, who finished fourth (out of five) in Pool D. The Dominican Republic and Venezuela both advanced.

Will Vest gets tabbed as replacement reliever on Team USA as multiple pitchers leave WBC

Vest had a difficult start to spring training, first pitching in a Feb. 25 game against the Blue Jays and giving up three runs in 2/3 innings, and then one inning on March 1, when he gave up two runs (also against the Blue Jays). He's looked more like his usual self in his last two outings, with one scoreless inning against both the Red Sox and Rays.

Team USA should breeze by Canada in the quarterfinal (no offense to Team Canada), but they'll have much stiffer competition in either the Dominican Republic or Korea, who face off on the same side of the bracket at 6:30 on Saturday. The US's roster is absolutely loaded with talent, so it's hard to say if Vest will get the ball at all, but Tigers fans are just glad to have a representative with Skubal's return to Lakeland.

The finals take place on Wednesday, March 17 in Miami. Even if the US gets that far, it gives Vest a few more days in spring training before the Tigers start their season on the west coast.