Astros Key Infielder To Miss Out on Upcoming World Baseball Classic

The Houston Astros would like to keep this infielder around for spring training.

Houston Astros cap | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The highly touted World Baseball Classic is one of the highlights of the spring when it comes to baseball.

For the Houston Astros, they're approaching this period with great caution, rightfully so. Shortly after one of their key infielders publicly expressed interest in participating in the WBC, sources state that he will, in fact, not be competing.

If you like our content, choose Sports Illustrated as a preferred source on Google.

Their speculative justification seems to be straightforward, and it's certainly not unreasonable.

Jose Altuve Will Not Participate in WBC

Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve | Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

According to Brian McTaggart of MLB.com, second baseman Jose Altuve will not play in this year's World Baseball Classic. During Houston's Fanfest over the weekend, Altuve had expressed interest in participating, but the Astros reportedly requested him to sit out. An official announcement by the franchise has yet to be released at the time of this writing.

Source: Jose Altuve won't participate in the World Baseball Classic at the request of the Astroshttps://t.co/tl7Uyu6XLZ

— Brian McTaggart (@brianmctaggart) January 26, 2026

Considering Altuve's persistent injuries and his frequent trips to the injured list, it's understandable why his ballclub would be reluctant to have him compete. However, as noted by McTaggart, this decision is likely rooted in a specific WBC-related incident in 2023, in which Altuve fractured his right thumb in a hit-by-pitch accident. Consequently, he was sidelined for 43 games that season.

Fast forward to his 2025 campaign, and he slashed .265/.329/.442 with a .771 OPS, recording 26 homers and 77 RBIs through 155 games. Bottom line, the Astros are in dire need of a healthy lineup this year—risking another injury at the WBC is not in their best interest.

Refraining from the World Baseball Classic keeps Altuve with the franchise for spring training, allowing him time to get back into the swing of things. Of course, this doesn't mean that injuries aren't possible during spring training—each year, numerous players suffer a variety of injuries during this period. But playing in the WBC is considered to be an added risk that simply isn't worth taking at this time.

Now, Altuve can focus on gearing up for spring training in preparation for the regular season. Houston is hoping to have a healthy lineup and rotation heading into their 2026 campaign, and if that means keeping tight reins on their players, then so be it.

This could very well be a comeback year for the Astros, but it will entirely depend on the ballclub's health. Last year was incredibly frustrating for the franchise in terms of players being sent to the IL, but having nearly hit rock bottom, Houston is looking for redemption.

---