WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- Astros third baseman Alex Bregman got only one at-bat for the United States in the first round of the World Baseball Classic, striking out as a pinch-hitter on Sunday night in Team USA's 8-0 victory over Canada.
Astros manager A.J. Hinch on Monday hinted at some frustration with Bregman's lack of playing time, considering the at-bats he's missing in big league camp.
:: 2017 World Baseball Classic ::
Bregman, the youngest member of the U.S. team, is behind established stars Nolan Arenado at third base and Brandon Crawford at shortstop on the depth chart and has been on the field for only half of an inning on defense in addition to the pinch-hit at-bat.
"The downside of being on a star-studded team is very minimal playing time," said Hinch, who spoke with Bregman late Sunday. "There's not much he can do about it. Going five or six days with one at-bat is a tough part about being on that team as a reserve."
The Americans advanced to Pool F and will play again at 8 p.m. CT Wednesday in San Diego against either Venezuela or Italy, who play a tiebreaker on Monday night in Mexico. It's unclear how much Bregman will play.
"Obviously, it's a fun experience to be around all of those guys, but he's anxious to get a few more at-bats and a few more innings of playing time," Hinch said. "He's still really young and never been through a full Major League Spring Training. He's doing fine mentally. It's been a fun, yet long couple of days for him."
The World Baseball Classic runs through March 22. In the U.S., games air live exclusively in English on MLB Network and on an authenticated basis via MLBNetwork.com/watch, while ESPN Deportes and WatchESPN provide the exclusive Spanish-language coverage. MLB.TV Premium subscribers in the U.S. have access to watch every tournament game live on any of the streaming service's 400-plus supported devices. The tournament is being distributed internationally across all forms of television, internet, mobile and radio in territories excluding the U.S., Puerto Rico and Japan. Get tickets for games at Tokyo Dome and 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.
Relief pitcher Dayan Diaz, a non-roster invitee, is expected back in camp any day now after Colombia was eliminated. Reliever Kevin Chapman, who worked a scoreless inning for Canada against the U.S. on Sunday, was waived. Chapman was out of options and has been claimed by the Atlanta Braves.
Hinch said Astros bench coach Alex Cora, who put together the Puerto Rico team that went 3-0 in pool play, will head to San Diego on Tuesday to spend a few days with that team, which includes Carlos Beltran and Carlos Correa.
"Obviously, he's done a lot of work to help get that team together," Hinch said. "Out of respect for that, I have no problem with him leaving for a couple of days. A couple of our guys are there anyway and he'll get to check in with those guys. He deserves the right to be around his team as they get toward the semifinals and finals."