If Puerto Rico wants to win the World Baseball Classic for the first time, it’ll have to do so without one of the faces of baseball on the island.
Tigers infielder Javier Báez cannot and will not play in the WBC due to a two-year suspension for cannabis, according to a Thursday evening report from Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press.
Per Petzold, Báez tested positive for cannabis—still strictly policed in international play—during the 2023 tournament. The test carried a two-year international ban, which began in April 2024 and will end in April 2026.
Báez, 33, played for the Puerto Rican squad in both the 2017 and ‘23 WBCs. At both tournaments, he was named to the All-WBC team. Puerto Rico, whose roster has been roiled by insurance-related issues this WBC cycle, finished second in the ‘17 tournament and sixth in the ‘23 tournament.
The three-time All-Star and 2018 National League MVP runner-up is coming off his best season in several years. Báez slashed .257/.282/.398 with 12 home runs and 57 RBIs for a Detroit team that came within a win of the ALCS.
The Puerto Ricans are scheduled to open the WBC on March 6 in San Juan against Colombia.
More MLB on Sports Illustrated