Canada made it out of pool play for the first time, while Cuba failed to move to the knockout round for the first time in WBC history. Cal Quantrill and Livan Moinelo each managed well, with just a sac fly giving Canada a 1-0 lead through four. An Abraham Toro homer off Yariel Rodriguez made it 2-0, but Cuba got a run back thanks to a leadoff walk and throwing error from Quantrill to set up an RBI groundout.
The Rangers announced that Anthony Veneziano has been released from his minor league contract so that the southpaw can pursue an opportunity with an Asian team. Veneziano only just signed with Texas about four weeks ago, though as per the norm with non-roster players, the Rangers aren't going to stand in the way if Veneziano is given a guaranteed offer from a foreign club.
Rob Manfred stated, "It is possible to play the All-Star game in its normal spot, have a single break that would be longer but still play 162 games without bleeding into the middle of November." This implies a potential adjustment to the schedule to accommodate both events.