Nationals Infielder Replaces Vladimir Guerrero Jr. For Dominican Republic At WBC

Washington Nationals third baseman Jeimer Candelario has been added to the Dominican Republic's roster for the World Baseball Classic, replacing the injured Vladimir Guerrero Jr. who withdrew from the team due to knee trouble.

Dave Martinez confirmed @AimeRivas and @hgomez27’s report that Jeimer Candelario will be playing for the Dominican Republic in the WBC.

— Andrew Golden (@andrewcgolden) March 5, 2023

The 29-year-old Candelario, who is off to a slow start this spring with a .211 batting average, will likely serve as a bench option for the stacked Dominican Republic lineup during the tournament.

🇩🇴WBC NEWS - DOMINICAN REPUBLIC🇩🇴

Per @FedobeRD, Jeimer Candelario has been added to the Dominican Republic’s World Baseball Classic roster as the replacement for Vladimir Guerrero Jr. pic.twitter.com/Q0yZfhc56z

— Shawn Spradling (@Shawn_Spradling) March 5, 2023

Candelario was seen practicing at first base during Nationals' camp on Sunday, which now makes sense given that he'll be playing at that position in the World Baseball Classic.

This opportunity comes after a disappointing 2022 season with the Detroit Tigers, where he posted a poor .217/.272/.361 triple-slash line, with 13 home runs, 50 RBIs and 49 runs scored over 124 games played.

However, before last season, Candelario had registered a solid .278/.356/.458 triple-slash line, 23 home runs, 96 RBIs and 105 runs scored over 201 games and the last two seasons. Photo Credit: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports