Altuve and Correa ruled out of World Baseball Classic

Houston Astros stars Jose Altuve and Carlos Correa volition miss the upcoming World Baseball Classic aft failing to unafraid security sum for their contracts, a setback for 2 teams counting connected their acquisition and leadership.

Insurance hurdles sideline Astros stars

Correa confirmed Tuesday that helium volition not play for Puerto Rico, saying the deficiency of security enactment his $31 cardinal wage astatine hazard during the March 5–17 tournament.

"That's excessively large of a hazard to take, to play with nary insurance." Correa said. "'I'm decidedly upset due to the fact that I've been preparing truly hard this offseason to get amended this twelvemonth and beryllium acceptable aboriginal truthful I tin beryllium acceptable for the WBC."

Correa returned to Houston astatine past season’s commercialized deadline and said helium discussed the concern with Astros proprietor Jim Crane. According to Correa, Crane told him to “focus connected the squad and outpouring training” and noted that the nine “had excessively galore injuries [in 2025].”

Altuve near waiting contempt willingness to play

Altuve volition besides beryllium retired the WBC, this clip for Venezuela. According to The Athletic, security issues prevented his information pursuing an offseason process connected his close foot. The determination comes aft a achy reminder from the past tournament, erstwhile Altuve missed much than 8 weeks of the 2023 play with a fractured thumb suffered during the WBC.

"I signed the insubstantial that I'm consenting to spell and play similar I did for successful the past 2 WBCs," Altuve told The Athletic connected Saturday. "It's ever an grant to correspond my country. I played successful the past 1 and the 1 earlier and I'm trying to bash it successful this one. I don't cognize what's going connected down the scenes, but it seems similar this twelvemonth it's not up to me."

The World Baseball Classic volition beryllium played crossed Houston, Miami, Tokyo and San Juan, Puerto Rico, with the semifinals and title crippled scheduled for Miami. However, the lack of Altuve and Correa highlights the ongoing hostility betwixt planetary contention and the fiscal realities of elite MLB contracts.