Seoul: South Korean national baseball team manager Ryu Ji-hyun revealed Wednesday that half-Korean star Tommy Edman declined an opportunity to represent South Korea at the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC) in September.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the national team is also assessing interest among other U.S.-born Major League Baseball (MLB) players of Korean descent and expects to have more clarity on player availability by January, two months before the tournament. Edman, currently a utility player for the Los Angeles Dodgers, is scheduled to undergo right ankle surgery next week, as confirmed by Dodgers' general manager Brandon Gomes during the MLB GM Meetings in Las Vegas.

Edman, who has a Korean mother and an American father, made history in 2023 by becoming the first player of mixed heritage to represent South Korea at the WBC. Despite South Korea's early exit from the tournament and Edman's modest batting performance of 2-for-11, he expressed a strong desire to perform better in future opportunities. However, due to his impending ankle surgery, Edman informed Ryu in September that he would not be able to participate in the upcoming WBC in March.

Ryu, speaking at Gimpo International Airport in Seoul before departing for pre-WBC tuneup games in Tokyo, stated, "He said he really wanted to redeem himself this time after not playing as well as he'd hoped in 2023, but said he won't be able to play because of his ankle. He said he would love to play when he gets another opportunity."

In addition to Edman, Ryu and his staff have been in discussions with other players of mixed heritage, including Jahmai Jones of the Detroit Tigers. Jones, 28, who also has a Korean mother, recently concluded his most successful MLB season, posting a .287/.387/.550 line in 72 games. Jones, a right-handed hitting outfielder, could provide much-needed strength to a South Korean team predominantly composed of left-handed hitters.

Ryu mentioned that discussions with Jones in September revealed his strong desire to join the South Korean team, though the final decision will depend on the Detroit Tigers' approval. "We will submit our provisional roster in December and then MLB teams will be notified of our picks. And we should have better ideas by January," Ryu added.