Shortstop Jeremy Pea wont compete for his native Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic, and might begin the season on the Houston Astros injured list.The 2025 American League All-Star was ruled out of the WBC on Thursday with a fracture in the tip of his right ring finger, according to Chandler Rome of The Athletic.MORE:Astros All-Star, World Series champion out of WBC with freak injuryPea, 28, had a breakout season last year when he slashed .304/.363/.477 in 125 games. His .840 OPS (132 OPS+) was easily the best of his four-yearMLBcareer.Pea visited a hand specialist on Thursday in West Palm Beach, after which the Astros announced his diagnosis. The team said Pea will be re-evaluated in two weeks. Enjoy free coverage of the top news & trending stories on The Big Lead NFL: 5 most overrated NFL free agents hitting the market in 2026MLB: What drug did Jurickson Profar take? MLB announces PED useSPORTS MEDIA: Stephen A. Smith bashes underwhelming NBA star as food addictVIRAL: NBC delivers epic nostalgia with Throwback Tuesday NBA broadcastWORLD CUP: Will Iran compete in the 2026 World Cup? Donald Trump weighs inWNBA: Players, union leaders divided, claims letter from 2-time MVP and 4-time All-StarThe post Astros, Dominican Republic get bad news on All-Star immediately before WBC appeared first on The Big Lead.