Insurance has turned into one of the biggest obstacles facing the 2026 World Baseball Classic, sidelining star players weeks before first pitch.
A growing list of major league players has withdrawn after failing to secure insurance approval to participate.
Without coverage, players risk losing their salaries if injured during the tournament, a tradeoff many aren’t willing to take. The issue has escalated quickly, leaving teams scrambling and some national rosters on the brink.
Puerto Rico has absorbed the hardest blow. Team captain Francisco Lindor, a New York Mets star announced for the role last April, pulled out after insurance was denied.
He joins Carlos Correa, José Berríos, Emilio Pagán, Victor Caratini, Alexis Díaz, and Yacksel Ríos, all reportedly declined coverage. The situation has deteriorated enough that Puerto Rico could withdraw from the tournament altogether.
According to reporting from The Athletic, Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association are pressing the World Baseball Classic insurer to reverse some decisions.
There have been small shifts. Puerto Rican pitchers Jovani Morán and Luis Quiñones were later cleared after initial denials, according to El Nuevo Día.
Insurance sits at the centre of WBC participation rules. Players must be covered for injuries sustained during the tournament. If an insured player gets hurt, the insurer reimburses the MLB club for the salary tied to missed regular-season games.
Without insurance, teams are not obligated to pay. Clubs can waive the requirement and assume the risk themselves, but few are eager to do so.
Players undergo medical exams before and after the tournament to separate pre-existing conditions from WBC-related injuries. Recent surgeries, chronic issues, or recurring injuries often trigger denials.
Lindor, for example, had right elbow surgery this offseason and previously underwent bone spur removal in 2023. Age also factors in.
The Athletic reported players aged 37 or older are being rejected, a rule that kept Miguel Rojas out despite his World Series run with the Dodgers.
Denied players face three options. Play uninsured and risk income. Buy private insurance at personal cost. Or walk away from the tournament.
History explains the caution. In 2023, Edwin Díaz tore a knee ligament celebrating Puerto Rico’s quarterfinal win and missed the entire MLB season.
That same tournament saw José Altuve fracture his thumb after a hit-by-pitch from Daniel Bard, sidelining him until May. Altuve had also been denied insurance, as was Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz.
Roster uncertainty remains high. Full 30-man lineups are due Tuesday and will be announced Thursday, days before the tournament opens on March 5.
According to Beinsure, the situation exposes a deeper tension between global events and risk management, where insurance decisions now shape competitive balance as much as talent.
