Astros’ Alex Bregman to play for Team USA in World Baseball Classic

Houston Astros third baseman will exchange his blue and orange for the red, white and blue for the start of the 2017 MLB season. Bregman announced on Friday he would be playing in the World Baseball Classic on Twitter Friday.

Bregman, 22, played 49 games for the Astros in 2016. He batted .264 (53x201) with 31 runs scored, 24 extra-base hits, 34 RBIs, two stolen bases, and .313 on-base percentage.

He joins five other Astros players that have been confirmed to be playing in the WBC: Luke Gregerson (United States), Jose Altuve (Venezuela), Carlos Correa (Puerto Rico), Carlos Beltran (Puerto Rico), and Nori Aoki (Japan).

WBC pool play begins on March 10 for team USA against Colombia in Miami. Team USA’s pool includes Canada and the Dominican Republic.

Players not knocked out early will likely miss much of Spring Training with the tournament running through March 22 and the Astros ending Spring Training on March 29.

The Astros had five players play in the 2013 WBC: minor league RHP Murilo Gouvea (Brazil), minor league outfielder Che-hsuan Lin (Chinese Taipei), Jose Veras (Dominican Republic), Xavier Cedeño (Puerto Rico), and Rhiner Cruz (Spain).