Major League Baseball (MLB) and other Cuban Players News for the 2023 season. A compendium from several sources
May 6
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. went 4-for-5 and hit a game-tying homer in the bottom of the ninth as the Diamondbacks edged the Nationals 8-7 on Saturday.
The wild finish saw the Diamondbacks take a 3-2 lead in the seventh, increase it to 6-2 in the eighth, fall behind 7-6 in the top of the ninth and then win the game in the bottom of the ninth after Gurriel's controversial homer and, later, a bases-loaded walk. The homer was controversial because a fan clearly reached over the fence in left to grab it while Stone Garrett was attempting a jumping catch. Still, fan interference was not called live or on review. Gurriel has been a nice addition for a surprising Arizona squad, posting a .300/.345/.464 slash line along with three homers, 15 RBI, 17 runs and a stolen base through 119 plate appearances.
Raisel Iglesias pitched a perfect ninth with a one-run lead for a save against the Orioles in his 2023 debut Saturday.
Working at 93-96 mph, Iglesias showed his usual stuff tonight after missing the first five weeks with shoulder inflammation. There's no guarantee that he won't deal with a reoccurrence at some point, but judging by the way he looked tonight, it's all systems go for now.
Luis Robert Jr. went 2-for-2 Saturday in a 5-3 loss to the Reds on Saturday.
Robert Jr. was hit twice by Reds starter Nick Lodolo but connected with a single and double in a tough 5-3 loss on Saturday. The 25-year-old is hitting .248/.309/.480 with seven homers and, shockingly, just one stolen base in 33 games played.
Johan Oviedo was lit up for seven runs (six earned) in five innings by the Blue Jays on Saturday.
Oviedo was a feel-good story at the beginning of the season, but it has quickly turned into a nightmare. He allowed 13 hard-hit balls, ten hits, and six earned runs while striking out just three Blue Jays in a loss on Saturday. He generated eight whiffs on 89 pitches with a dreadful 27 percent CSW. He'll carry a 5.59 ERA, 1.62 WHIP, and 30/12 K/BB ratio across 32 innings (six starts) into a scary road matchup on Friday against the Orioles.
Yordan Álvarez and José Abreu: Combined for one hit Saturday.
Yordan Álvarez and José Abreu combined for just one hit and one RBI in Saturday's 7-5 loss to the Mariners. Yordan went 1-for-3 with a double, RBI #31 and a walk, while Abreu went 0-for-2 with a walk and two strikeouts. Abreu is having a strange season, as he has no homers and only four extra bases this year while Álvarez continues to show off his power. Abreu has a poor slash line of .223/.273/.254 with 13 RBI this season, while Álvarez has a slash line of .265/.381/.541 with 7 homers and 31 RBI.
Jorge Soler went 2-for-3 with a solo homer on Saturday in the Marlins' loss to the Cubs.
Soler got Miami out to an early lead with a third-inning homer -- his seventh long ball of the season -- off lefty Drew Smyly and wound up reaching base safely in three of his four plate appearances in the low-scoring affair.
