Major League Baseball (MLB) and other Cuban Players News for the 2023 season. A compendium from several sources
Aug 3
Yennier Cano threw perfect inning for hold#26. Cano struck out one in a perfect 8th inning Thursday to record his hold #26 of the year in a 6-1 win over the Blue Jays. The 29-year-old has a 1-2 record and four saves in 48 appearances, to go along with his excellent 1.89 ERA and 1.01 WHIP and a 47:9 K:BB through 52.1 innings.
Adolis García produces RBI #86. García went 1-for-4 with an RBI and two strikeouts in Thursday's 5-3 win over the White Sox. After going without an RBI in the last three games of July, the slugger has produced at least one RBI in two of his last three games in August. With 86 RBIs this season, he is only five shy of Atlanta Braves' Matt Olson.
Yordan Álvarez and José Abreu combined for two hits Thursday.
Álvarez and Abreu combined for 6-2 against the Yankees in a 4-3 loss. Abreu struck out once while Álvarez walked. At key moments in the game, both Astros batters were unable to produce.
Jorge Soler with one hit Thursday. Soler went 1-for-4 with two strikeouts in Thursday's 4-2 loss to Philadelphia. Soler's production slowed down significantly in the second half of the season, and over the last 15 games he slashed just .190/.224/.302. However, the 31-year-old has 26 home runs and 57 RBI through 105 contests on the season, keeping him on pace for his first 40-homer campaign since 2019.
Yasmani Grandal and Yoán Moncada combined for a single on Thursday.
Moncada went 1-for-3 with a run scored, a walk and a strikeout, while Grandal was 0-for-3 with his 30th RBI, two strikeouts and a walk. As a result of his disappointing 2023 performance, Moncada is hitting just .232/.278/.345 with three home runs and 15 RBI, while Grandal appears to be nearing the end of his career with a slash line of .247/.315/.376 in 89 games with eight home runs and 30 RBI, and is increasingly being replaced as the team main catcher.
Luis Robert got breather Thursday. Robert was not in the lineup for Thursday's series finale against the Rangers. Trayce Thompson was activated from the 60-day injured list and got the start in center field as Robert took a routine day of rest.
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. with two strikeouts Thursday.
Gurriel Jr. went 1-for-4 with two strikeouts and no RBI on Thursday's 1-0 loss to the Giants. The 29-year-old was one of the best hitters in the majors in the first half of the season, but he's cooled off dramatically after the All-Star break by going just 23-for-115 through his last 30 games. He's slashing .252/.298/.456 with 16 homers, 58 RBI, 43 runs scored and two stolen bases through 97 games this season.
Angels' Víctor Mederos headed back to Rocket City. The Angels optioned Mederos to Double-A Rocket City on Wednesday. Mederos' stay with the big club lasted just one day, with the young right-hander tossing a scoreless inning out of the bullpen in Tuesday's 5-1 loss to Atlanta. He'll cede his spot on the 26-man active roster and in the bullpen to right-hander Dominic Leone, whom the Angels acquired from the Mets ahead of Tuesday's trade deadline.
Michel Triana released.
Michel Triana was released by the Daytona Tortugas after three minor league seasons in which he hit 17 home runs but struck out 245 times. Michel Triana left Cuba to seek a job in Major League Baseball in mid-August of 2018 and the Cincinnati Reds signed him on July 2nd, 2019. Despite Triana's high strikeout numbers, the Reds were impressed by his raw power and saw him as a potential star in the making. They believed his strikeouts were indicative of a player who was still developing and maturing as a hitter. They decided to take a chance on Triana and signed him to a contract. His first season with the Reds was promising as he showed signs of improvement in his hitting. Despite becoming one of the strongest hitters in the league, his hitting abilities didn't improve much.
