How Dane Dunning is eligible to play for Korea in World Baseball Classic

Dane Dunning joined a new MLB team in the offseason when he signed with the Seattle Mariners.

He'll have to delay his hopes of making that roster, though, because he first has the World Baseball Classic to play in for Korea.

Yep, Dunning is suiting up for Korea Republic, which is in Pool A action in Tokyo.

The right-handed pitcher doesn't immediately come across on paper as Korean, but that's the heritage he's playing for this month.

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How is Dane Dunning eligible for Korea in WBC?

Dunning's eligibility comes from his mother, according to the Korea Herald.

WBC eligibility rules aren't particularly strict. Parental heritage is more than enough for a player to play for a given nation.

Dunning had wanted to play in the 2023 WBC but injury held him out.

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Now, he didn't want to miss out again.

“I was disappointed that I couldn’t make it last time,” Dunning told the Korea Herald. “Now that I’m here, it’s exciting. I’m really happy to finally have the chance.”

The veteran righty has a World Series ring in his career, so he knows what it takes to win key games.

It's not clear when Korea will call on Dunning, but when he takes the mound, he'll be ready.

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