Houston Astros shortstop Jeremy Pena will be missing the World Baseball Classic with a fractured finger. Team Dominican Republic was then forced to find his replacement.
Erik Gonzalez will now be joining the team, Team Dominican Republic announced. They are set to take on Nicaragua on Friday, and Gonzalez is expected to join the team beforehand, via Mark Feinsand of MLB.com.
The infielder hasn't played in MLB since 2022, when he was a member of the Miami Marlins. He had stints with the Pittsburgh Pirates and the then Cleveland Indians. Over 352 games total, Gonzalez hit .242 with 11 home runs, 77 RBIs and 13 stolen bases.
For the past two years, Gonzalez has played for Leones del Escogido in the Dominican Winter League. The infielder has spent ample time with the organization over his baseball career. However, the past two seasons didn't involve any minor league time. Over his 46 games during the 2025-26 season, Gonzalez hit .299 with 14 RBIs and two stolen bases.
It was going to be difficult for Team Dominican Republic to replace Pena no matter who they brought in. The shortstop is coming off of the first All-Star nomination of his career. Over 125 games, Pena hit .304 with 17 home runs, 62 RBIs and 20 stolen bases.
Still, Team DR will now be putting their trust in Gonzalez. He won't have to do things alone, as the team features numerous MLB stars such as Vladimir Guerrero Jr, Juan Soto and Fernando Tatis Jr. They'll have to hold the fort down in Pena's absence, with Gonzalez also contributing when called upon.
