Dominican's Abad, Valdez to replace Cueto, Casilla in Round 1 of WBC
Joe Camporeale / USA TODAY Sports
The Dominican Republic has announced that pitchers Fernando Abad and Cesar Valdez will replace Johnny Cueto and Santiago Casilla in the first round of the World Baseball Classic.
Cueto was away from the San Francisco Giants, having only reported to the team on Saturday after tending to his ill father. Casilla, meanwhile, was experiencing visa issues and has yet to make it to Oakland A's camp.
Abad and Valdez were part of the team's designated pitcher pool and will be part of the roster when the Dominican Republic opens the tournament on March 9 against Canada.