Miranda withdraws from Classic with right shoulder soreness

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Twins infielder Jose Miranda will withdraw from the roster of Team Puerto Rico for the upcoming World Baseball Classic due to right shoulder soreness that is preventing him from playing the infield, manager Rocco Baldelli announced on Wednesday.

Though Miranda will continue to see Spring Training action for the Twins in the designated hitter slot, they are withholding him from throwing as he works through a “tendinitis kind of situation,” Baldelli said. Still, it hasn't impacted Miranda's hitting, as he went 1-for-3 with an RBI in Thursday's 4-2 win over the Rays.

Baldelli and Miranda both noted that the Twins are “quite hopeful” that Miranda will be fully ready for Opening Day, but they want to keep him around their medical staff through the start of the regular season.

"It's hard," Miranda said. "Obviously, it was a dream of mine growing up, seeing those guys in the WBC, representing my country. Obviously, a little disappointing for me. But it's part of it. It's something I can't control right now. But just, I've got to keep my mind positive and trust what the team is telling me, just trust the process."

Miranda participated in the Twins’ pregame drills on Wednesday at third base, but Baldelli said the 24-year-old still felt the impacts of the soreness, leading to this decision. Miranda is moving back across the diamond from first base to his natural position at third, and he worked to improve his nutrition and agility over the offseason to facilitate the transition.

There's both some tightness and some pain in Miranda's shoulder, but he said he only feels it when he throws, and not when he's hitting. He said he had some similar tightness in the front of his shoulder two years, and his arm felt better after two weeks.

Miranda said there's no concrete timetable for his progression back to the field, which will be dictated by how his shoulder feels in the coming days.

"They told me they think it's nothing super serious, so we're thinking maybe soon, trying to throw a little bit more," Miranda said. "See how it does."

"We don’t have larger concerns or long-term concerns," Baldelli said. "We think he’s going to be OK, but he needs some time."

Even without Miranda and Carlos Correa, who will sit out due in part to the upcoming birth of his child, the Twins will send a large contingent to Team Puerto Rico: catcher Christian Vázquez, reliever Emilio Pagán, reliever Jovani Moran and non-roster pitchers José de León and Dereck Rodríguez.