Fresh off a report from the New York Post that cited doctor who said Carlos Correa has the “worst ankle” he’s ever seen, the Minnesota Twins have announced that Correa will not participate in the upcoming World Baseball Classic.
The Twins say Correa is skipping the international baseball tournament because he and his wife are expecting their second child and that the decision is “not related to health at all,” according to Twins MLB.com reporter Do-Hyoung Park.
“After some thoughtful discussions with Carlos about the upcoming WBC, we’ve collectively determined that it’s in his best interests to not participate in the upcoming tournament,” Twins president of baseball operations Derek Falvey said. “This was a challenging decision for Carlos. He takes so much pride in representing his country and truly considered ways to make this work.”
That’s the company line, but Dan Hayes of the The Athletic cites sources who says the Twins and Correa acknowledge “that withdrawing from the WBC minimizes the risk of injury.”
The #MNTwins and Carlos Correa have come to a mutual decision that Correa will not play in the World Baseball Classic.
Correa's second son is due March 11, when Puerto Rico opens pool play. They agreed it could pose travel/ramp-up concerns. Not related to health at all.
— Do-Hyoung Park (@dohyoungpark) February 6, 2023
The WBC is March 8-21 and Correa’s second son is due March 11. That, coupled with the regular season beginning less than 10 days after the conclusion of the tournament apparently complicated the idea of Correa playing for Puerto Rico.
“Ultimately, as we looked at what his travel would be surrounding the upcoming birth of his second child — due during the WBC tournament — we all acknowledged that the back and forth flying combined with multiple days off from baseball activity didn’t set Carlos up for jumping into meaningful games upon his return,” Falvey said.
The Twins report to spring training later this month. Spring training games begin Feb. 25 and go through March 28, followed by the 2023 regular season opener March 30 against the Kansas City Royals.
