MLB 2023 | Iglesias picks up 17th save, Luis Robert swipes 10th bag, Arozarena hitless with 4 Ks

Major League Baseball (MLB) and other Cuban Players News for the 2023 season. A compendium from several sources

Raisel Iglesias (Photo: Dale Zanine/USA Today)

Jul 20

Raisel Iglesias worked around a hit and a walk to turn in a scoreless ninth and earn his 17th save Thursday versus the Diamondbacks.

Iglesias took a loss after giving up three runs in a tie game in his previous appearance Tuesday. He hasn’t resembled a shutdown closer at any point in 2023, but he’s taken just two blown saves, the last coming over a month ago. He picked up the save in Thursday's 7-5 win over Arizona. He allowed one hit and one walk over a scoreless inning. Iglesias entered the game with a two-run lead in the top of the ninth and certainly made things interesting after surrendering a walk to Emmanuel Rivera, followed by a single from Jake McCarthy. However, the right-handed reliever needed only seven pitches to retire the next two hitters and get out of the jam, recording his 17th save of the season in the process. Iglesias has now converted each of his last eight save opportunities, with his last blown save coming back on June 12.

Luis Robert swipes 10th bag. Robert went 1-for-4 with a run scored and a steal in Thursday's 6-2 win over the Mets. Robert is now 10-for-12 in stolen base attempts this year, putting him one bag shy of his career best set last season. The 25-year-old outfielder also extended his hitting streak to five games -- he's gone 8-for-22 (.364) with two home runs and six RBI in that span. Robert is slashing .275/.329/.571 through 395 plate appearances while setting new career highs this season with 28 homers, 65 runs scored and 57 RBI.

Yordan Álvarez is scheduled to play in minor league rehab games on Friday and Saturday for Triple-A Sugar Land.

Álvarez is getting the night off on Thursday before getting in a pair of rehab games later this week. Astros general manager Dana Brown said earlier this week that the hope is that the 26-year-old All-Star slugger will be ready to return to Houston’s lineup for Monday’s series opener against the Rangers.

Randy Arozarena was back in Rays’ lineup on Thursday against Baltimore. Yandy with two RBI.

Arozarena experienced some soreness in his right knee and back after colliding with the outfield wall during Wednesday’s game, but fortunately didn't cost him any time. He was back into his normal clean-up spot for Tampa Bay, who entered a critical series with the Orioles as both teams battle for the AL East lead, and lost 4-3 in extra innings. There is no doubt the Orioles are serious contenders to win the AL East, and they aren't wasting any time. I don't think it was a good decision to let Arozarena play. In the game he went 0-for-5 with 4 strikeouts. With the game 1-0 Rays up, there was also a mental error made by Arozarena that allowed Gunnar Henderson to triple in the 4th inning, after he delayed his infield throw on Henderson's double to left field. It ended up being a three-run inning for Orioles.

In the same game, Yandy Díaz added two more RBI to reach 45 on the year. Despite going 1-for-5, he struck out three times.

Lourdes Gurriel Jr. got a rest on Thursday in the series finale against the Braves.

Gurriel has really struggled of late, hitting .199/.253/.390 over 34 games since June 1st. During the game, he entered as a pinch hitter and went 0-for-1.