SURPRISE, Ariz. -- Rangers third baseman Adrian Beltre said his strained left calf muscle is better, but he is still undecided about playing in the first round of the World Baseball Classic.
Beltre said the deadline to decide is Thursday, when the Dominican Republic must set its final roster for the first round. It seems unlikely Beltre will be ready in time, but a final decision has yet to be made.
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"I just don't know yet," Beltre said.
Beltre injured the calf muscle working out on Feb. 14. The original diagnosis was a Grade 1 sprain and that Beltre would be out two to three weeks. The Dominican Republic's first game is March 9 against Canada in Miami.
The Dominican Republic is in Pool C, along with Colombia, the United States and Canada. The Dominican and Team USA play on March 11.
Beltre has been able to take batting practice and field ground balls, but his running has been limited.
"I'm running but not hard enough," Beltre said.
Beltre could miss the first round and be added to the roster later in the tournament if the Dominican Republic, the defending champions from 2013, advances.
The World Baseball Classic runs from March 6-22. In the U.S., games will air live exclusively in English on MLB Network and on an authenticated basis via MLBNetwork.com/watch, while ESPN Deportes and WatchESPN will provide the exclusive Spanish-language coverage. MLB.TV Premium subscribers in the U.S. will have access to watch every tournament game live on any of the streaming service's 400-plus supported devices. Internationally, the tournament will be distributed across all forms of television, internet, mobile and radio in territories excluding the U.S., Puerto Rico and Japan. Get tickets for games at Marlins Park, Tokyo Dome, Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul, Estadio Charros de Jalisco in Mexico, Petco Park, as well as the Championship Round at Dodger Stadium, while complete coverage -- including schedules, video, stats and gear -- is available at WorldBaseballClassic.com.