MESA, Ariz. -- A's manager Bob Melvin announced on Friday morning that reliever John Axford will not participate in the World Baseball Classic, which is set to begin next week.
"We were open to it and support him if he wants to go," Melvin said. "We certainly support him for not going, because obviously we can control the schedule on our end if he's not there."
Axford, who was originally scheduled to join Team Canada in Miami on Sunday, was expected to address the media on Friday to explain his reasoning. As late as Thursday afternoon, he spoke about his excitement for the tournament.