Philadelphia Phillies reliever Jose Alvarado will not represent his native Venezuela in the upcoming World Baseball Classic because he is unable to obtain game insurance, according to reports.
El Extrabase’s Daniel Álvarez-Montes reported the news on Twitter/X on Saturday.
advertise
More: Angels owner Arte Moreno: Winning not among fans’ top five priorities
Alvarado was announced as a member of Team Venezuela on February 5. Now, he’ll be forced to watch his WBC teammates at Phillies training camp in Florida when games begin in March.
Several star players were unable to obtain WBC insurance, including Puerto Ricans Francisco Lindor and Carlos Correa. Odanil Mosqueda, another left-handed reliever from Venezuela, will also reportedly miss the game because he was also denied coverage by his insurance company.
National Financial Partners, the official partner of Major League Baseball (MLB), brokers the insurance policies. NFP has not commented on the recent reports Competitor Why are so many players unable to obtain WBC insurance for 2026?
advertise
However, according to Ken Rosenthal and Evan Drelic, the insurance concerns have been exacerbated by injuries suffered by Jose Altuve and Edwin Diaz in their last WBC fight in 2023.
Ostensibly, the NFP fear they will be in trouble for paying expensive wages to players after they were warned of an increased risk of injury.
The result: some teams, including Venezuela, have significantly less star power in the WBC than they did the last time the tournament was held.
— Enjoy free coverage of top news and trending stories from The Big Lead —
Olympic Games: 2026 Winter Olympics Closing Ceremony Flag Bearer for Team USA Revealed
advertise
NFL: Predicting 2026 NFL free agent signings
Major League Baseball: Detroit Tigers drop unreal alternate jerseys for 2026 MLB season
NBA: Charlotte Hornets share update on LaMelo Ball since car accident
National Hockey League: 2026 Winter Olympics Men’s Hockey, NHL Final Four Team Payrolls
Sports media: Olympics reporter apologizes for drinking and slurring speech during live broadcast
The post Phillies infielder takes huge hit in World Baseball Classic appeared first on The Big Lead.
