Detroit Tigers infielder Javier Báez, a three-time All-Star in Major League Baseball, will not compete for his native Puerto Rico in the upcoming World Baseball Classic.
Báez was suspended from competing in the WBC due to marijuana use.
More news: Former World Series Outfielder, 6-Year MLB Veteran, Dies
Although he was not penalized by MLB, Báez reportedly received a two-year period of ineligibility — April 26, 2024, to April 26, 2026 — from World Baseball Softball Confederation events after he tested positive for the substance on March 12, 2023, during the 2023 WBC.
As a result of the positive test, Báez will remain in the Tigers’ spring training camp when the WBC commences in March. Speaking of Feb. 17 in the Tigers’ camp, Báez made his first public comments about his suspension.
More news: Dodgers’ Alex Vesia Breaks Silence About Heartbreaking Death
“I don’t want to point fingers to anybody because this is all my fault. I’m the one that failed the test and the rules over there,” Báez told reporters, including Evan Woodbery of the MLive Media Group. “To have the chance to be part of that, and now it’s away from me, it really hurts. It really hurts my family, my reputation.”
Báez is coming off a resurgent season with the Tigers in which he slashed .257/.282/.398 in 126 games. He made the American League All-Star team in July, his first selection to a midsummer classic since 2019 with the Chicago Cubs.
More news: Blue Jays Lose Pitcher to AL East Rivals for $18.5 Million in Free Agency
A former Silver Slugger Award winner in his prime, Báez posted a 1.9 WAR season according to Baseball Reference — his best season since 2022.
MLB does not prohibit players from being tested and disciplined solely for marijuana use under its drug testing program. Marijuana was removed from the league’s list of banned substances as of a collective bargaining agreement change that took effect in 2020.
More news: World Series-Winning Outfielder Dies Suddenly at 34
MLB and the MLB Players Association control the operations and commercial rights of the WBC as a joint venture, which allows major league players to participate. The World Baseball Softball Confederation sanctions the event as baseball’s official world championship.
For more MLB news, visit Newsweek Sports.
