The general manager of the Dominican team for the 2023 World Baseball Classic, Nelson Cruz, announced that Jeimer Candelario will replace Vladimir Guerrero Jr on the official roster.
“The Dominican Republic is an inexhaustible source of baseball talent. That sets us apart. I want to welcome Jeimer Candelario to the team, who has always expressed his desire to defend the country on the pitch. He is a thorough professional, ”Cruz said through a press release from the Dominican Baseball Federation (Fedom).
The now third baseman for the Washington Nationals has experience covering first base in the majors.
Candelario is coming off batting .217, 13 home runs and 50 RBIs in the 2022 season with the Detroit Tigers but it was his performance in both the Round Robin and the Lidom Final Series with the Eastern Stars.
Starting this Monday, players will begin arriving in Fort Myers, Florida, which will be the training site, with the first practice this Tuesday.
Later, Wednesday and Thursday, the troupe led by Rodney Linares will have two exhibition matches. On the 11th will be his first official engagement of the world championship against Venezuela at 8:00 pm at the Marlins Stadium.
Guerrero Jr was the only natural first baseman on the roster announced for the event, with Rodney Linares pointing to Robinson Canó as the “backup”, so Candelario is expected to play the most games as the starter for that position.
“We regret any absence due to injury and no one feels worse than someone who loses this great opportunity due to an unexpected event, but it is part of the game and we have a mission to fulfill,” added Cruz.
