Baker A Bit Concerned About Astros Players Absent For WBC

With 14 players absent for the World Baseball Classic Dusty Baker's plan for spring training has been adjusted.

The defending World Series-champion Houston Astros have 14 players representing seven different countries named to the 2023 World Baseball Classic.

That’s terrific, isn’t it?

Not necessarily if you ask Astros manager Dusty Baker.

"Well, it's kind of putting a wrench in my normal plans and how I do a normal Spring Training," Baker told reporters at spring training in West Palm Beach, Fla. "I mean, a normal spring training you'd go two innings, four, five, five, seven, seven and you wouldn’t be going nine innings until the last week. So you just gotta adjust."

Six Astros were named on the Dominican Republic's roster: pitchers Bryan Abreu, Ronel Blanco, Cristian Javier, Rafael Montero and Hector Neris along with shortstop Jeremy Peña. Blanco is in the designated pitcher pool and could be added to the Dominican's active roster in one or more consecutive rounds.

The Astros will have two players compete for the United States – pitcher Ryan Pressly and right fielder Kyle Tucker. Second baseman Jose Altuve and pitcher Luis Garcia will play for Team Venezuela. The two other Astros Major Leaguers scheduled to play in the WBC are pitcher José Urquidy (Mexico) and catcher Martín Maldonado (Puerto Rico).

In addition, two Astros Minor Leaguers will participate in the WBC – pitcher Colton Gordon (Israel) and Derek West (Netherlands).

The WBC will be played from March 8-21 and will feature 20 teams. There are four pools which each include five teams. 

More From SI's Inside The Astros:

1. Could Mike Trout Request a Trade to the Houston Astros?
2. Mariners Fans Inexplicably Outraged Following Houston Astros' Social Media Post About Sweep
3. Report: Former Astros Pitcher Fiers' Contract Terminated By CPBL Club
4. Six Houston Astros Declared Free Agents
5. Watch: Yordan Álvarez's Home Run Wins Astros World Series
6. Lucas Giolito Claims All Teams Were Cheating in 2017
7. Dusty Baker Makes His Thoughts Known on Bonds and Judge Records
8. Is it Time to Move on From the Houston Astros Cheating Scandal?
9. Is There Any Hope for an Aging Yuli Gurriel?
10. Astros' Álvarez Stopped Striking Out and Became the Best Hitter in Baseball

---

Make sure to follow Inside the Astros on Twitter @InsideAstrosSI!