Toronto All-Star catcher Alejandro Kirk has formally withdrawn from the World Baseball Classic, Blue Jays manager John Schneider confirmed on Saturday.
Kirk was in line to play for Team Mexico, but his arrival at Blue Jays spring training in Dunedin, Florida, has been delayed while he awaits the birth of a child.
“We decided collectively probably best to not to do the WBC. That’s the decision that he came to,” Schneider said. “As soon as the baby comes, he’s coming right to camp and he’ll be here.”
The Blue Jays opened their Grapefruit League schedule with a 9-7 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates.
“Understanding where we are on the calendar and understanding the buildup, all that stuff,” Schneider said with regards to Kirk’s process. “It was a collective decision.”
Kirk, 24, hit .285 last season as the Blue Jays advanced to the American League postseason. He finished with 14 home runs and 63 RBIs. Both he and first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. represented Toronto in last year’s All-Star Game.