New York Mets star and Puerto Rico captain Francisco Lindor will not participate in this year's 2026 World Baseball Classic as he continues to recover from offseason surgery on his right elbow.
In a statement issued by the MLB players' association on Lindor's behalf, insurance issues were cited as the reason for his withdrawl.
"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's statement read. "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."
Lindor underwent a right elbow debridement in October, shortly after the Mets' season ended.
The 32-year-old has represented Puerto Rico in each of the last two WBCs. He helped Puerto Rico reach the 2017 WBC final, and went 9-for-20 with five RBIs over five games in the 2023 tournament. This past April, Lindor was named captain of Puerto Rico's 2026 squad, marking the second straight tournament he received the honor.
His absence is the latest blow to a Puerto Rican roster that's among the favorites to advance out of Pool A, which is being played at San Juan's Hiram Bithorn Stadium. Puerto Rico will also be without Carlos Correa after the Houston Astros third baseman withdrew this week because of insurance-related issues.
Lindor is coming off another stellar season with the Mets that saw him hit .267/.346/.466 with 31 homers, 86 RBIs, and 31 stolen bases over 160 games while leading the NL in plate appearances and at-bats. It marked his second 30-30 season in the last three years.
Puerto Rico will open its tournament against Colombia in San Juan on March 6 at 6 p.m. ET. Full rosters for all teams will be announced on Feb. 5 at 7 p.m. ET, two days after the final 30-man squads are submitted.
