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.
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.
Brian McTaggart of MLB.com announced on Monday that superstar second baseman Jose Altuve has decided not to participate in this year’s WBC. Multiple factors influenced the decision, starting with a request of the Astros organization that he not play in it. The Athletic reports that Carlos Correa, like Altuve, will be skipping the WBC.
Jose Altuve and Carlos Correa Not Participating in the WBC
Concern for Altuve in the World Baseball Classic
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 all their injuries last season.
Jose Altuve will not play in the 2026 World Baseball Classic after the Astros requested him not to participate, per @brianmctaggart pic.twitter.com/Nc4wUpuhGf
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) January 26, 2026
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.
Insurance Issues
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.
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’s current salary for 2026 is $33 million.
Carlos Correa will not participate in the World Baseball Classic after he failed to receive insurance on his contract, he tells @TheAthletic. Full story, with Correa’s comments – https://t.co/Pl5ySas3l8
— Chandler Rome (@Chandler_Rome) January 27, 2026
Additionally, Correa recently talked to team owner Jim Crane, 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’s too big a risk to play with no insurance.
Cautious Approach for Astros Superstars
This was disappointing for both Altuve and Correa, who both clearly had plans to participate.
“I signed the paper that I’m willing to go and play like I did in the last two WBCs,” Altuve said at the FanFest event on Saturday. “It’s always an honor to represent my country. I played in the last one and the one before, and I’m trying to do it in this one. I don’t know what’s going on behind the scenes, but it seems like this year it’s not up to me.”
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’s upset because he was preparing really hard in the offseason to be ready early for the event.
More on Altuve and Correa
The Venezuela team is managed by Astros bench coach Omar Lopez, 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.
Altuve hit 26 home runs and drove in 77 runs with a .771 OPS last season. The Astros re-acquired Correa 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.
More on the Astros at WBC
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 in 2017 with Puerto Rico, 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.
Astros catcher Yainer Díaz is expected to play in the WBC for the Dominican Republic. The status of shortstop Jeremy Peña’s participation is not officially confirmed, but he could very well play for the Dominican Republic as well, as he did in 2023.
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.
Main Photo Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images