{"id":113051,"date":"2026-01-28T20:05:32","date_gmt":"2026-01-29T01:05:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/?p=113051"},"modified":"2026-01-28T20:05:32","modified_gmt":"2026-01-29T01:05:32","slug":"why-jose-altuve-carlos-correa-not-participating-2026-wbc","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2026\/01\/28\/why-jose-altuve-carlos-correa-not-participating-2026-wbc\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Altuve and Correa Are Not Participating in the WBC"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The 2026 World Baseball Classic is coming up, and the tournament will officially run from March 4-17. Houston will play a role in this one, as Daikin Park will be the host for several group stage matches featuring the United States, as well as two quarterfinal games.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Many of the best baseball players in the world participate in this renowned tournament, but Astros fans will not see two of their fan favorites playing in the WBC.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Brian McTaggart of MLB.com <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.mlb.com\/news\/jose-altuve-not-participating-2026-world-baseball-classic\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">announced on Monday <\/a>that superstar second baseman <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.mlb.com\/player\/jose-altuve-514888\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jose Altuve<\/a> has decided not to participate in this year\u2019s WBC. \u00a0Multiple factors influenced the decision, starting with a request of the Astros organization that he not play in it.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\"> The Athletic reports that <a  target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/c\/correca01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2026-01-28_br\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Carlos Correa<\/a>, like Altuve, will be skipping the WBC.<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_106070\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-106070\" style=\"width: 692px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/08\/USATSI_26864325-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"692\" height=\"461\" class=\" wp-image-106070\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/08\/USATSI_26864325-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/08\/USATSI_26864325-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/08\/USATSI_26864325-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/08\/USATSI_26864325-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/08\/USATSI_26864325-2048x1366.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/08\/USATSI_26864325-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/08\/USATSI_26864325-1200x800.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 692px) 100vw, 692px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-106070\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Aug 16, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros third baseman Carlos Correa (1) hits a RBI single to right field against the Baltimore Orioles during the fourth inning at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-Imagn Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2>Jose Altuve and Carlos Correa Not Participating in the WBC<\/h2>\n<h3>Concern for Altuve in the World Baseball Classic<\/h3>\n<p>Altuve played for his home country of Venezuela in the 2023 WBC but suffered a fractured right thumb after being hit by a pitch and underwent surgery. He missed the first 43 games of the season as a result. The Astros are concerned because of that incident and do not want to take any chances, especially with <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2025\/08\/28\/astros-injury-woes-continue-bright\/\" target=\"_self\">all their injuries<\/a> last season.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Jose Altuve will not play in the 2026 World Baseball Classic after the Astros requested him not to participate, per <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/brianmctaggart?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@brianmctaggart<\/a> <a  href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/Nc4wUpuhGf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/Nc4wUpuhGf<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/MLBONFOX\/status\/2015854354725585222?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">January 26, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>The club wants Altuve, who is still one of the most valuable players and the heart and soul of the Astros, to remain with the team during spring training and prepare for the upcoming season. Altuve also dealt with a sore right foot in the final weeks of the 2025 regular season and underwent a procedure in November to clean up that wound.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Insurance Issues<\/h3>\n<p>The nine-time All-Star says that he is now 100% healthy, and Houston wants to make sure it remains that way. Another reason why Altuve will not participate is because of insurance issues. He could not secure insurance on his contract for the tournament.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>These are the exact same reasons why Carlos Correa will also not play in the WBC for Puerto Rico. According to Chandler Rome of The Athletic, Correa failed to get insurance on his contract. His $31 million salary is at risk if he were to get injured. Altuve\u2019s current salary for 2026 is $33 million.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Carlos Correa will not participate in the World Baseball Classic after he failed to receive insurance on his contract, he tells <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/TheAthletic?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@TheAthletic<\/a>. Full story, with Correa&#8217;s comments &#8211; <a  href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/Pl5ySas3l8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">https:\/\/t.co\/Pl5ySas3l8<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Chandler Rome (@Chandler_Rome) <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Chandler_Rome\/status\/2016209421374828553?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">January 27, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Additionally, Correa <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mlb\/story\/_\/id\/47745495\/astros-jose-altuve-carlos-correa-not-insured-miss-wbc\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">recently talked to team owner Jim Crane,<\/a> who told him to focus on the Astros and spring training. Crane also mentioned that the team had too many injuries in 2025. Correa believes it\u2019s too big a risk to play with no insurance.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Cautious Approach for Astros Superstars<\/h3>\n<p>This was disappointing for both Altuve and Correa, who both clearly had plans to participate.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I signed the paper that I&#8217;m willing to go and play like I did in the last two WBCs,&#8221; Altuve said at the FanFest event on Saturday. &#8220;It&#8217;s always an honor to represent my country. I played in the last one and the one before, and I&#8217;m trying to do it in this one. I don&#8217;t know what&#8217;s going on behind the scenes, but it seems like this year it&#8217;s not up to me.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>It clearly means a lot for the 2017 AL MVP to play for Venezuela, and he appeared to greatly enjoy his time in the 2023 WBC. As for Correa, he said he\u2019s upset because he was preparing really hard in the offseason to be ready early for the event.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>More on Altuve and Correa<\/h3>\n<p>The Venezuela team is managed by Astros bench coach <a  target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/register\/player.fcgi?id=lopez-005oma&amp;utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2026-01-28_br\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Omar Lopez<\/a>, who said the injury that Altuve suffered in the 2023 tournament could happen in spring training as well. However, the Astros do not want to leave that up to fate and are taking matters into their own hands. The three-time batting champion played 153 games in 2024 and 155 in 2025, and Houston will need his presence to get back into the postseason.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Altuve hit 26 home runs and drove in 77 runs with a .771 OPS last season. The Astros <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2025\/07\/31\/carlos-correa-heads-back-astros-surprise-deadline-trade\/\" target=\"_self\">re-acquired Correa<\/a> at the 2025 trade deadline from the Minnesota Twins and played much better with the Astros than his time earlier that season in Minnesota. The three-time All-Star hit .290 with a .785 OPS, adding six home runs and 21 RBI in 51 games.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>More on the Astros at WBC<\/h3>\n<p>Altuve struggled in the 2023 World Baseball Classic, going 3-for-14 (.214 average) and one RBI in five games. Correa also opted out of the 2023 edition due to the birth of his child. The Platinum Glove winner last participated <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.mlb.com\/world-baseball-classic\/stats\/world-baseball-classic\/2017\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">in 2017 with Puerto Rico<\/a>, where he was one of the best players in the entire tournament. Correa hit for a .333 AVG and 1.250 OPS, with three home runs and nine RBI as Puerto Rico finished runner-up.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Astros catcher <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2025\/12\/31\/yainer-diazs-astros-2026\/\" target=\"_self\">Yainer D\u00edaz<\/a> is expected to play in the WBC for the Dominican Republic. The status of shortstop <a  target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/p\/penaje02.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2026-01-28_br\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jeremy Pe\u00f1a<\/a>\u2019s participation is not officially confirmed, but he could very well play for the Dominican Republic as well, as he did in 2023.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Either way, the Astros will have their two stalwarts from the golden era play together for a full season for the first time since 2021.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Main Photo Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The 2026 World Baseball Classic is coming up, and the tournament will officially run from March 4-17. Houston will play a role in this one, as Daikin Park will be the host for several group stage matches featuring the United States, as well as two quarterfinal games.\u00a0 Many of the best baseball players in the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5612,"featured_media":107762,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"1","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[14,1071,35],"tags":[716,5332,3300,251,5945],"class_list":["post-113051","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-astros","category-mlb","category-news","tag-carlos-correa","tag-jeremy-pena","tag-jim-crane","tag-jose-altuve","tag-yainer-diaz"],"modified_by":"Lewis Masella, Site Editor","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/113051","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5612"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=113051"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/113051\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":113068,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/113051\/revisions\/113068"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/107762"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=113051"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=113051"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=113051"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}