OTTAWA — Canadian reliever John Axford has withdrawn from the upcoming World Baseball Classic due to personal and professional reasons.
Baseball Canada announced on Sunday that Jesen Therrien of Montreal has been added to the roster as a replacement.
Axford, from Port Dover, Ont., is currently with the Oakland Athletics organization.
The 23-year-old Therrien is a member of the Philadelphia Phillies organization and played for their double-A affiliate in Reading and high-A affiliate in Clearwater last season. Therrien played for Canada at the 2010 under-18 Baseball World Cup and 2011 under-18 Pan Am Championships where Canada won a silver medal.
The Canadians open the 2017 WBC on Thursday against the Dominican Republic.
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