Minnesota catcher Joe Mauer has officially decided to skip playing for Team USA at the World Baseball Classic. Mauer told MLB.com on Sunday that he recently informed USA baseball officials that he would not play in the event. He said the minor surgery he had to eliminate a kidney obstruction in late December was the deciding factor. "I want to make sure that I'm going to be ready for the season," Mauer said of his decision. "I was excited about playing in the event early on [this fall], but given the surgery, I just think it's going to be best for me to use Spring Training to get ready for the year."