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20 hours ago
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The Puerto Rican national baseball team was dealt a major blow overnight Friday into Saturday.
That's when the news emerged that they won't have Francisco Lindor for the World Baseball Classic. The New York Mets' superstar shortstop was set to be a major piece for Team PR in the WBC.
Instead, Puerto Rico will have to move its infield pieces around some more, with this coming on the back of the news that Carlos Correa won't take part in the tournament, either.
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Why isn't Francisco Lindor playing in the WBC?
The basic reason Lindor isn't playing is because of injury insurance.
Lindor had a procedure done on his right elbow in the offseason, and he was unable to get the proper insurance clearance to play in the WBC.
Insurance issues are also keeping Correa and Jose Altuve (Venezuela) from playing in the WBC.
This was the full statement from the MLB Players Association on Lindor:
"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. 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."
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The good news for the Mets is that Lindor is fully healthy and will be ready for the season.
But it'll be a bummer for fans of Puerto Rico to see Lindor preparing for the season in spring training rather than in their WBC uniform.
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