SANTO DOMINGO.– The Puerto Rico selection will suffer an important loss for the next World Baseball Classic. Javier “El Mago” Báez will not be able to participate in the tournament due to a doping suspension.
The sanction, stemming from a positive test for marijuana consumption, deprives the Puerto Rican team of one of its key figures, both on and off the field.
The result that changed the landscape
According to the International Testing Agency (ITA), responsible for the anti-doping control of the World Baseball Classic, the Detroit Tigers shortstop tested positive for Carboxy-THC, a metabolite of cannabis.
The test was carried out on March 12, 2023, after the game in which Puerto Rico lost 9-6 against Venezuela at loanDepot Park in Miami. Although Báez scored a run in that game, the post-game control initiated a process that leaves him out of the World Cup.
Clash of Regulations
The case of Báez highlights the differences between Major League Baseball regulations and international organizations. Since 2020, MLB removed marijuana from its list of prohibited substances, but the World Baseball Classic is governed by the standards of the WBSC and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), where cannabis is still penalized during the competition.
The sanction imposed on the Puerto Rican player began on April 26, 2024 and will extend until April 26, 2026, which excludes him from the tournament, scheduled from March 5 to 19, 2026.
No appeal options
Despite the attempts of the Puerto Rico Baseball Federation (FBPR) to manage an exception, the situation is definitive. National federations do not have the ability to appeal or request reconsiderations in cases handled by the ITA, limiting themselves to a role of observers.
A seriously affected infield
The absence of Báez worsens the situation for the Puerto Rican infield, which had already lost Lindor and Correa for reasons unrelated to the playing field. Without its star nucleus from the last editions, Puerto Rico is forced to completely reconfigure its infield.
The absence of “El Mago” not only represents a defensive and offensive loss, but also a blow to the leadership and experience of a team that will seek to reinvent itself to compete at the highest level in the 2026 World Baseball Classic.
