MIAMI – Erik González has replaced Jeremy Peña on the Dominican Republic’s roster for the World Baseball Classic, the team announced on Friday, adding a versatile infielder to manager Albert Pujols’ star-studded roster.
Gonzalez will join the Dominican team at loanDepot park prior to Friday night’s WBC opener against Nicaragua (7 p.m. ET on FS2).
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Peña suffered a fracture to the tip of his right ring finger during an exhibition game on Wednesday, an injury that will keep him sidelined for at least two weeks.
Peña and Geraldo Perdomo were expected to see the bulk of time at shortstop for the Dominican, with Amed Rosario also capable of playing there. Perdomo is expected to start at shortstop in the opener.
Gonzalez last played in the Majors in 2022 with the Marlins, appearing in 16 games. The 30-year-old was in the Reds organization in 2024, playing 128 games at Triple-A. He played for Cleveland, Pittsburgh and Miami during his seven seasons in the Majors (2016-2022).