Phillies Pitcher José Alvarado Blocked from Venezuela WBC Team

Insurance issues prevent Alvarado from representing his home country in the upcoming World Baseball Classic

Feb. 22, 2026 at 11:23pm

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Philadelphia Phillies left-hander José Alvarado announced on social media that insurance issues will prevent him from representing Venezuela in the upcoming World Baseball Classic. Alvarado expressed deep sadness over the situation, which he said is beyond his control. He had hoped to wear his country's jersey for the third consecutive time, as representing Venezuela has been one of the greatest honors of his career.

Why it matters

Alvarado is the latest player to be blocked from participating in the World Baseball Classic due to insurance issues, following similar situations with Francisco Lindor, Carlos Correa, and Jose Altuve. This highlights ongoing challenges with the insurance requirements for the international tournament co-owned by MLB and the MLBPA.

The details

Alvarado, 30, had a 3.81 ERA and seven saves in 28 games for the Phillies last season. He was suspended for 80 games in 2022 for violating baseball's performance-enhancing drug policy, which the team said was caused by a weight loss drug Alvarado took during the offseason.

  • The World Baseball Classic runs from March 5-17, 2026 in Tokyo, Houston, San Juan, Puerto Rico, and Miami.
  • Alvarado was suspended on May 18, 2022 following a positive test for an external testosterone.

The players

José Alvarado

A 30-year-old left-handed pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies who has represented Venezuela in the past two World Baseball Classics.

Dave Dombrowski

The president of baseball operations for the Philadelphia Phillies.

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What they’re saying

“The insurance required for my participation was not approved. This is a situation that is beyond my control and without a doubt it fills me with sadness and is difficult to understand. I had the hope and commitment to once again wear my country's jersey for the third consecutive time. Representing Venezuela has always been one of the greatest honors of my career.”

— José Alvarado

“The positive test was caused by a weight loss drug Alvarado took during the offseason.”

— Dave Dombrowski, President of Baseball Operations, Philadelphia Phillies

What’s next

The World Baseball Classic organizers will need to work with National Financial Partners to resolve the insurance issues preventing some players from participating in the tournament.

The takeaway

This situation highlights the ongoing challenges with insurance requirements for international baseball competitions, which have prevented several high-profile players from representing their home countries in the World Baseball Classic.