Mets Star Outfielder Removes Himself From World Baseball Classic Due To Injury


He won't be playing in the World Baseball Classic after all.

New York Mets outfielder Starling Marte will be unable to represent the Dominican Republic in the upcoming WBC due to the core issue which he received surgery for. 

The good news, for Mets fans that is, is that Marte is expected to be ready to go for Opening Day.

Marte underwent surgery for a core muscle injury back at the beginning of November. The thirty-four-year-old suffered the injury around the midway point of the season. 

However, the typical recovery timeline for that kind of surgery is around eight weeks, so Marte is obviously still not feeling 100% and, rather than risk further injury and miss time to start the MLB season, he has opted to sit out the WBC.

It's a very tough blow and obviously hard decision for Marte to make, as this could very likely have been his last chance to represent the Dominican Republic in the WBC. 

Marte slashed a robust .292/.347/.468 line, with 16 home runs, 63 RBIs, 18 stolen bases and 76 runs scored over 118 games last season with the Mets. He is entering his 12th major league season.
Photo Credit: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports