Superstars will be in abundance at the 2026 World Baseball Classic, especially on the United States and Japan rosters, but that’s not the case for other countries.
Houston Astros stars Jose Altuve and Carlos Correa and New York Mets star Francisco Lindor aren’t cleared to compete in the esteemed baseball tournament for their respective countries.
Here’s what’s going on:
Insurance at the heart of the issue
Altuve (Venezuela), Correa (Puerto Rico) and Lindor (Puerto Rico) are among the players who can’t participate in the World Baseball Classic due to not being granted the proper insurance to play; an insurance policy is in place that financially protects MLB teams if a player gets hurt in the tournament.
“Due to the criteria for WBC insurance coverage, Jose Altuve was looking forward to participating in the WBC and representing Venezuela, but unfortunately is not eligible to do so,” the MLBPA said in a statement. “Jose is obviously disappointed in this result, but he is looking forward to getting to spring training and preparing himself for a successful season.”
Altuve, who suffered a thumb injury in the 2023 WBC and missed the beginning of the 2023 MLB regular season due to the injury, underwent foot surgery in November; Correa has missed extensive time due to back, rib, finger and foot injuries, among other issues throughout his MLB career; Lindor underwent elbow surgery in October.
“Due to the cleanup procedure that Francisco Lindor had on his right elbow earlier this offseason, he will not be participating for team Puerto Rico in the 2026 World Baseball Classic,” the MLBPA said in a statement. “Francisco is obviously disappointed that he will be unable to participate. However, because of WBC insurance constraints, he is ineligible to play in WBC games. “He will participate fully in all spring training activities.”
Puerto Rico is in trouble
Additionally, Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Jose Berrios and Cincinnati Reds reliever Emilio Pagan, who would each play for Puerto Rico, haven’t been cleared. The country is considering withdrawing from the 2026 World Baseball Classic, Dr. Jose Quiles, the President of the Puerto Rico Baseball Federation, said.
“We are considering not participating in this edition [of the WBC]. It’s a discussion we’ve already had,” Quiles said. “If we are not playing under equal conditions, we will not participate. It’s a decision that is almost, almost, made. We are issuing a warning. We’ll see what happens in the coming days, and we will make a final decision.”
Precedent
In the 2023 World Baseball Classic, reliever Edwin Diaz — who signed a five-year, $102 million contract with the Mets just four months earlier — suffered a torn right patellar tendon in a celebration pile after a Puerto Rico victory. Diaz subsequently missed the entire 2023 MLB season.
Prior to the 2023 WBC, Los Angeles Dodgers left-hander Clayton Kershaw wasn’t able to secure the needed insurance coverage to play due to concerns about his back.
