WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC: POOL A - COLOMBIA VS CANADA

March 7, 2026

Luis Patiño

Hiram Bithorn Stadium

Team Colombia

Pregame Press Conference

Q. You're going to start tomorrow. How are you feeling about that in the World Baseball Classic and representing your country tomorrow?

LUIS PATIÑO: I feel pretty good. I'm excited to show who I am. It's my first time representing my country. I'm so excited to pitch tomorrow facing team Cuba, a great team. Go there, do my best, and show who I am.

Q. After your surgery, after your recovery, are you still the same electric pitcher, with your velocity? How do you self-assess in this life as a player?

LUIS PATIÑO: After my surgery, there's been a lot of things that have happened. There's some things that have happened that are frustrating a little bit. Thanks to a great team that I have, I've been able to improve. I've been able to recover from my injury in the best way.

I've learned to be a better pitcher, not only a straight pitcher, but I believe that has characterized me the last few years that I can show I'm a pitcher that doesn't rely only on my fastball. But I can play with my pitches, and that's helped me grow as a pitcher.

I feel fine with that and getting more confidence after a surgery and a setback, because I had surgery and then I had a setback. I trust all the work that I've done to prepare for the Classic and to give the best of myself.

Q. How different have you been told pitching in this tournament is than from any other tournament you've been in?

LUIS PATIÑO: I think we have restrictions right now, that you can just pitch 65 pitches in the first round. So you need to do adjustments so quick to go there and pitch the most innings you can with just 65 pitches. When you be in the Big Leagues or Minor Leagues, you don't have that restriction.

So maybe the plan is different. It's more attacking the hitters early in the count and show what you got to help your team and go like four or five innings. That's the goal when you've got that restriction right now with the WBC.

Q. In Spring Training you can work on things in the start and the result doesn't matter. How does it change your process when suddenly the result is all that matters?

LUIS PATIÑO: Last couple years for me, I was a little bit different, like when you come in for TJ, you need to first stay healthy, because when you got TJ, you lose like a year. So you need like a different process and different routine when you're back from the TJ.

Right now I'm a free agent. So everything I do with my trainers, with my pitching coaches in Miami to work on getting better every day, to come here and show the team I'm healthy now to get signed with a team again.

That was my process that year, this year to get healthy, show the teams I'm healthy and I can pitch in the Big Leagues. That was my goal. More stay healthy and show the team what I can do now after losing two years from the TJ and the surgery.

Q. What is that process like for you to know that this could be a steppingstone for you to get back with a team?

LUIS PATIÑO: I talked with my agents a couple days ago about that. Like a couple teams called about what I feel right now, but everyone say they want to see me pitch. My mind is just preparing for my game, preparing to do my best, help my team, help my country.

Like what I said earlier, it's my first WBC, so I want to enjoy too. My family is here, and I just want to enjoy that moment and show what I am. I'm pitching in the Big Leagues for four years, and now I never pitched for my country. So this is a little bit different. I just want to go out and show who I am. That's my goal right now.

Q. From your perspective, what can you tell us about Julio, and what is it about him that you feel confident that he can get Colombia back in the win column?

LUIS PATIÑO: Julio is one of my reference. He and José Quintana are my references for Colombia pitching. He's a pretty good pitcher. He's got the ability to pitch. I think today he's going to put in the best on the mound to get back to winning one game and be in the competition to pass to the next round.

I feel like how José Quintana showed yesterday. That's the veteran of our team, they're teaching us how we can control these scenarios. I feel he's going to have a great game today, and we are looking for the win for sure.