Italy pivots to RHP Aaron Nola in WBC semis vs. Venezuela

Field Level Media
16 Mar 2026, 23:10 GMT+10

(Photo credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images)

Team Italy will turn to right-hander Aaron Nola as the starter for Monday's World Baseball Classic semifinal game against Venezuela at Miami, instead of right-hander Michael Lorenzen.

With an eye toward Tuesday's championship game, Italy presumably will line up Lorenzen for a potential matchup against the United States for the WBC title. Lorenzen earned the win against the U.S. in pool play last Tuesday when he gave up two hits over 4 2/3 scoreless innings.

Nola also dominated in his lone start of the tournament when he held Mexico without a run on four hits with five strikeouts to close out pool play on Wednesday. Italy finished 4-0 in pool play, while the United States went 3-1.

Nola, 32, is coming of the worst season of his career in 2025 when he was 5-10 with a 6.01 ERA in 17 starts for the Philadelphia Phillies, while battling ankle and rib injuries.

In 11 career seasons, all with the Phillies, Nola is 109-89 with a 3.83 ERA in 285 appearances (all starts) and finished as high as third in National League Cy Young Award voting in 2018 when he made his lone All-Star appearance.

Lorenzen, 34, signed a one-year deal with the Colorado Rockies in the offseason after going 7-11 with a 4.64 ERA in 27 appearances (26 starts) for the Kansas City Royals last season.

In 11 career seasons, Lorenzen is 54-55 with a 4.08 ERA in 395 games (119 starts) for six different clubs. He made his lone All-Star Game appearance in 2023 as a member of the Detroit Tigers.

--Field Level Media

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