Major League Baseball (MLB) and other Cuban Players News for the 2023 season. A compendium from several sources Aug 28 Johan Oviedo fired a two-hit shutout on Monday in a complete-game win over the Royals. Oviedo (8-13) notched the win over Kansas City on Monday. Oviedo authored a masterful performance on Monday night in Kansas City, striking out five batters and allowing just four baserunners, needing just 112 pitches (73 pitches) to go the distance for his first career complete game. He retired the final 11 batters he faced to finish with a flourish. The 25-year-old right-hander excelled at limiting hard contact in this one, allowing just four batted balls with an exit velocity in excess of 95 mph. With his gem, Oviedo became the first Pirates pitcher since April 2017 to throw a nine-inning shutout on the road. His 4.20 ERA and 1.28 WHIP on the campaign are hardly great, though he's put up better numbers in August with a 2.92 ERA and 1.05 WHIP over 37 innings covering six starts. He’ll face the division-rival Cardinals on Sunday in a road matchup. Yordan Álvarez went 4-for-4 with a homer and four RBI on Monday night as the Astros demolished the Red Sox at Fenway Park. The 26-year-old slugger smacked an RBI single off of Chris Sale in the third inning that tied the game at 2-2. Álvarez's terrific night was highlighted by his three-run shot in the sixth inning, a 396-foot three-run shot off of Kyle Barraclough. It was his 22nd home run of the year and first since Aug. 6, snapping an 18-game homerless drought. He's driven in seven runs over the last two games, giving him 76 this season. Álvarez boosted his OPS to .954 with 39 extra-base hits through 85 games. With his impressive four-hit night, Álvarez is now hitting .288/.394/.560. Luis Robert Jr. went 2-for-3 with a double on Monday night as the White Sox were shut out by the Orioles in Baltimore. As a team, the White Sox got just two hits in the ballgame, with Robert Jr. accounting for both of them himself. He smacked a two-out double (106.7 mph EV) off of Grayson Rodriguez in the fourth inning, then delivered the hardest-hit ball of the ballgame (110.3 mph EV) with a single up the middle to lead off the seventh inning. He’s enjoying an outstanding season in the midst of the chaos surrounding the White Sox — slashing .268/.323/.557 with 34 homers, 69 RBI and 16 stolen bases. José Abreu hit first homer since return. Abreu went 2-for-4 with a solo home run, two RBI, two walks and a run scored Monday against the Red Sox. Abreu got the scoring started for Houston with a solo homer off Chris Sale in the second inning -- his first since being activated from the injured list Aug. 23. He's produced plenty in the four games since, going 5-for-17 with five RBI and two runs scored. Abreu's increased production has stretched a bit further, as he also has four home runs, 16 RBI and 16 runs scored in 27 games since the All-Star break. Andy Ibáñez returned to bench Monday. Ibáñez was out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Yankees. Ibáñez started at second base in four of the past five games, but he turned the keystone over to Zach McKinstry while the Tigers opened a four-game set with the Yankees. The 30-year-old began his recent run of starts with a two-homer, four-RBI effort in last Tuesday's win over the Cubs, but he went 2-for-12 over his subsequent three contests. Ibáñez still looks like a part-time player in the Detroit infield rather than a mainstay in the lineup.

Major League Baseball (MLB) and other Cuban Players News for the 2023 season. A compendium from several sources Aug 27 J.P. Martínez knocks first homer. Martínez went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Sunday's 7-6 extra-innings loss to the Twins. Martínez's second-inning homer, his first of the year, snapped an 0-for-10 skid across his last six contests. The 27-year-old continues to operate as a reserve outfielder for the Rangers. He's slashing .281/.306/.406 with four RBI, seven runs scored and no stolen bases through 36 plate appearances this season. Martínez's best path to playing time remains in left field, where he can compete with Robbie Grossman and Travis Jankowski, though he was covering for a resting Adolis García in right field Sunday. Yoán Moncada was perfect at plate Sunday. Yoán Moncada went 4-for-4 with a pair of doubles and two RBI on Sunday afternoon, propelling the White Sox to a 6-1 victory over the visiting Athletics. Moncada led off the sixth inning with a double off of Paul Blackburn, then scored on an RBI single off the bat of Gavin Sheets. He tacked on a two-run single of his own in the seventh inning — extending the White Sox’ advantage to five runs at 6-1. He has been swinging a hot bat as of late and has gone 12-for-32 (.375) with five extra-base hits and eight RBI over his last nine contests. Moncada is now hitting .246/.288/.381 with five homers, 28 RBI and one stolen base in 260 plate appearances on the season. Randy Arozarena went 2-for-4 with three steals and three runs scored against the Yankees on Sunday. Arozarena posted his first three-steal game and second multi-steal game this season to bring him up to 18 thefts on the year. Two of those steals came in between benches-clearing incidents in the eighth. Arozarena became the Rays’ fourth HBP of the day when he was plunked by Albert Abreu, and he took issue, though no punches were thrown. The benches cleared again after Arozarena swiped third and he and Abreu jawed at the each other, but nothing really came of it. Arozarena was struggling badly post All-Star break through the rest of July, but Sunday was a continuation of a strong month at the plate for the 28-year-old. In 23 games, he's slashing .276/.390/.425 with three homers, 10 RBI, 22 runs, six steals and a 14:24 BB:K and has hit safely in six of his last seven games while scoring 11 times over that span. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. swatted a solo home run on Sunday as the Diamondbacks rallied to beat the Reds. Gurriel Jr. blasted a 415-foot game-tying solo shot off of Graham Ashcraft in the seventh inning to make it a 2-2 ballgame. He also drew a walk in the ballgame, finishing the day 1-for-3 officially. On the season, the 29-year-old is now hitting .253/.303/.459 with 20 long balls and 67 RBI. Aroldis Chapman gave up a run in the ninth to take a blown save against the Twins on Sunday. Chapman was his own worst enemy in this one. He walked Michael A. Taylor with one out and then advanced Taylor to second with a rare disengagement violation. Donovan Solano then singled the runner in. Chapman is still throwing a whole lot better than Will Smith at the moment, so we’d continue to view him as the favorite for saves in Texas. Yennier Cano was handed tough-luck loss. Cano (1-3) allowed an unearned run on one hit and struck out one over one inning to take the loss Sunday versus the Rockies. Cano hadn't given up a run over 10.2 innings in August, logging three holds and a save prior to an unlucky loss Sunday. The right-hander has received the first look at ninth-inning assignments since Felix Bautista (elbow) was injured Friday. Cano has a 1.57 ERA, 0.97 WHIP and 58:10 K:BB with five saves and 28 holds over 63 innings this year. Those numbers aren't as dominant as Bautista's, but it's still likely Cano can handle closing duties for as long as necessary. Lefty Danny Coulombe may also be in the mix for save chances if manager Brandon Hyde shifts to a matchup-based approach. Jorge Soler homered Sunday to account for both Marlins runs in a 2-1 win over the Nationals. Soler went 2-for-4 with a two-run homer and a double in Sunday's 2-1 win over the Nationals. Soler's two-run blast in the third was enough to propel the Marlins to a narrow victory over the Nationals. He's now up to 35 home runs this year and is tied with Mookie Betts for fifth-most in baseball. Soler’s 35th homer means he’s alone in sixth place on the Marlins franchise single-season list. He’s not catching leader Giancarlo Stanton at 59 homers in 2017, but he has a shot of overtaking Gary Sheffield’s 42-homer 1996 season of the second spot and he’s pretty much a lock to get the 38 homers he needs to move into third place. Soler's power continues to be the staple of his game, as he lacks a high batting average and doesn't steal bases. He's got home runs in back-to-back games and 10 total in August and is now slashing .241/.328/.516 with 71 RBI, 70 runs and a 56:129 BB:K in 525 plate appearances. White Sox's Yasmani Grandal: Starting Sunday, but losing time. Grandal started at catcher and batted seventh in Sunday's game against the Athletics. He went 1-for-4 with a double. Though he was back in the lineup for the series finale, Grandal was on the bench for each of the previous four games and appears to have moved into a reserve role while the White Sox prioritize younger players down the stretch. Yandy Díaz was available as a bat off the bench in Sunday’s finale against the Yankees. He wasn’t needed on Sunday. He should return to the Rays starting lineup for Tuesday’s contest against the Marlins. José Abreu got day off. Abreu was out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Tigers. Abreu got a breather for the day game after he started in three of the Astros' first four games following his activation from the 10-day injured list Wednesday. Luis Robert Jr. was not in the White Sox’ starting lineup for Sunday’s finale against the Athletics. It was a normal day off for the 26-year-old superstar. Robert Jr. has been outstanding this season, hitting .265/.321/.554 with 34 homers and 16 swipes across 516 plate appearances.

Major League Baseball (MLB) and other Cuban Players News for the 2023 season. A compendium from several sources Aug 24 White Sox's Luis Robert: Slugs 34th homer. Robert went 1-for-5 with a two-run home run Thursday in a loss to the A's. Robert continued his impressive campaign with a monstrous 444-foot shot in the bottom of the fifth inning. Continuing to build on what has been an incredible season, Luis Robert Jr. also flashed his leather for an impressive grab for the second time this week, this time robbing Brent Rooker of the Oakland Athletics of a go-ahead home run in the fourth inning, preserving a 1-0 lead for the Chicago White Sox. Robert has been healthy in 2023, and he's thus emerged as an elite outfielder and an excellent producer at home plate, posting a .265/.320/.554 slash line with 34 homers, 69 RBI, 79 runs and 16 steals in 18 attempts over 508 plate appearances. As an example of Luis Robert's offensive ability, Shohei Ohtani, who is now injured, is the only other big-leaguer with at least 30 long balls and 10 steals this season. Yandy Díaz: Hitless in win. Díaz went 0-for-4 in Thursday's 5-3 victory over the Rockies. Díaz, who had multiple hits in six consecutive contests since August 15, went 14-for-29 during that stretch. Díaz hasn't homered since Aug. 6, but he is slashing .360/.406/.494 in August and is still leading the American League in batting average with .326 (140-for-429). Lourdes Gurriel Jr. with another hit. Gurriel went 1-for-3 in Thursday's 3-2 win against the Reds. It is Gurriel's fifth consecutive hitting game, and he has hit .278 over that span (5-for-18). Gurriel is slashing .259/.307/.462 with 19 home runs, 66 RBI, 51 runs scored, 26 doubles, two triples, and four stolen bases through 113 contests, but he is hitting .313/.365/.537 during the month of August. Yordan Álvarez returned to the Astros’ lineup for Thursday’s game against the Red Sox. After missing two straight games with left index finger soreness, Álvarez hit cleanup as the designated hitter against the Red Sox in a 17-1 loss on Thursday. Álvarez went 1-for-3 with a walk. The 26-year-old is hitting .278/.384/.553 in 81 games with 21 home runs and 68 RBI. José Abreu got a day off on Thursday against the Red Sox. Abreu only played one game since coming off of the IL, but he was replaced for Jon Singleton on Thursday. The Astros ended up losing badly, 17-1 to the Rex Sox. Abreu has struggled for much of the season and was in a 3-for-35 slump before going on the IL, so perhaps the Astros will split at-bats between him and the left-handed Singleton more evenly going forward. Or, more likely, Michael Brantley will factor into the split more often when he is activated off of the IL soon. Oscar Colás was sent to the bench versus lefty on Thursday. Colas wasn't in the White Sox's lineup Thursday against Oakland. Left-hander Ken Waldichuk started on the hill for the Athletics, so the lefty-hitting Colás was in the dugout to begin Thursday's game. He entered the game as a pinch hitter and went 0-for-1 with a strikeout and a walk.

Major League Baseball (MLB) and other Cuban Players News for the 2023 season. A compendium from several sources Aug 23 Dairon Blanco hit his first career homer on Wednesday in the Royals’ win over the Athletics. Blanco went 1-for-2 with a solo home run in Wednesday's 4-0 win over the Athletics. Blanco opened the scoring in the third inning Wednesday with a 414-foot homer off Adrian Martínez, the first of his Major League career. It's certainly a positive sign from the 30-year-old outfielder, who had just one extra-base hit in his previous 19 games. “I’m extremely proud and I’m really happy that it happened,” he said through an interpreter after the game. “Also, we got the win today and we all did good”, adding “As soon as I hit it, I knew it was going out. So, why not look at it?” Overall, Blanco is now slashing .247/.316/.438 with 14 RBI, 13 runs scored and 16 stolen bases across 99 plate appearances this season while typically serving as the Royals' fourth outfielder. Randy Arozarena socks homer No. 20. Arozarena went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Wednesday's 6-5 extra-inning win over the Rockies. The 28-year-old outfielder opened the scoring in the third inning by lofting an Austin Gomber changeup over the wall in left field. Arozarena was in a deep slump coming out of the All-Star break, but he could be flipping the switch as the playoff race heats up. Over his last 15 games, he's slashing .317/.423/.467, and five of his nine RBI over that stretch have come in the last three contests. Wednesday's long ball also gave him exactly 20 for the third straight season, and the Rays have 34 games left on the schedule for him to establish a new career high. Astros activated José Abreu from the 10-day injured list. Abreu, who was placed on the IL on Aug. 12 with back inflammation, returned to the Astros' lineup without the benefit of a rehab assignment, even though he was in a 3-for-35 slump before going on the IL and has been sub-replacement level over the course of the year. The Astros need him to start hitting badly now, but he hasn't provided much reason to be optimistic. On Wednesday's game he went 1-for-5 with a double, his RBI 57 of the year and a strikeout. Abreu has struggled to a .234/.291/.343 batting line in 464 total plate appearances overall this season. Yandy Díaz went 2-for-4 with three RBI in Tampa Bay’s 6-5 extra innings win over the Rockies on Wednesday. Díaz had just one hit and one RBI heading into the ninth inning when a one-out single off of Justin Lawrence drove in two runs to tie the game and send it to extra innings. The first baseman now has 65 RBI on the season while hitting .329/.406/.506 in a breakout campaign. Yordan Álvarez was out of the Astros’ lineup for a second straight game on Wednesday due to left index finger soreness. Astros manager Dusty Baker told reporters he’s hopeful Álvarez will return to Houston’s lineup on Thursday. With the 26-year-old slugger absent, the Astros will have just one lefty, Kyle Tucker, in their lineup against Chris Sale. Yainer Díaz is starting at designated hitter on Wednesday night. Yasmani Grandal received breather Wednesday. Grandal was out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Mariners. Grandal had been included in the lineup at either catcher or designated hitter in each of the last seven contests, going 4-for-25 with two walks, two runs and no RBI. Yoán Moncada got rest day. Moncada was out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Mariners. Elvis Andrus will slide over from the middle infield to replace Moncada at third base.

Major League Baseball (MLB) and other Cuban Players News for the 2023 season. A compendium from several sources Aug 22 Johan Oviedo was sharp in seventh win. Oviedo (7-13) earned the win Tuesday, allowing one run on four hits and a walk over five innings against the Cardinals. He struck out five. It was a solid performance from Oviedo, who'd allowed 10 runs over his previous two starts (nine innings). The lone damage against him Tuesday came on a Richie Palacios solo homer in the fifth. The ball flew 406 feet and over his brother, Josh Palacios’ head, in the top of the fifth inning. Oviedo generated nine swinging strikes on 97 pitches, posting a well-below-average CSW rate of 23 percent. The 25-year-old Oviedo lowered his ERA to 4.46 with a 1.33 WHIP and 129:62 K:BB across 26 starts (145.1 innings) this season. We know it has been an up-and-down season for Oviedo. His first full MLB season and first full season as a starting pitcher since 2020, however, has been more positive than negative. With another step forward next season, Oviedo's future with the Pirates appears bright. He's currently lined up for a home matchup with the Cubs in his next outing this weekend. Jorge Soler clobbered a solo homer on Tuesday, propelling the Marlins to a 3-0 victory over the Padres. Soler went 1-for-5 with a solo home run in Tuesday's 3-0 win over the Padres. Soler went yard to open the scoring in the third inning. He's homered seven times over his last 13 games, but he's gone just 11-for-46 in that span as he continues to produce more power than consistency from the leadoff spot. The outfielder is at a .240/.330/.508 slash line with 33 homers, 68 RBI, 68 runs scored and one stolen base through 120 contests overall. Andy Ibáñez homered twice and drove in four runs on Tuesday night, powering the Tigers to an 8-6 victory over the Cubs in Motown. The 30-year-old infielder opened the scoring in the ballgame with a 423-foot solo shot off of Drew Smyly in the home half of the first inning. He then broke it open with a 402-foot three-run bomb in the fourth that gave them a 7-4 advantage. Ibáñez also drew a walk in the contest, finishing the night 2-for-3. Overall on the season, he’s slashing .248/.281/.427 with nine homers and 26 RBI. Raisel Iglesias pitched around a hit and a walk to hold the Mets scoreless in the ninth for a save Tuesday. Iglesias gave up a hit and a walk in a scoreless ninth inning Tuesday to record his 25th save of the season in a 3-2 win over the Mets. It wasn't the sharpest appearance from the right-hander, but Iglesias got Francisco Álvarez to hit into a double play after he put the first two batters of the inning aboard. The veteran closer hasn't blown a save since June 12, converting 16 straight and posting a 2.16 ERA, 1.04 WHIP and 35:5 K:BB over his last 25 innings. Iglesias has reemerged as a sure thing of late. This was his 13th consecutive scoreless appearance. He’s now 25-for-27 saving games this year. Aledmys Díaz went 1-for-3 with a double and three RBI on Tuesday, propelling the Athletics to a 5-4 victory over the visiting Royals. The 33-year-old infielder plated Zack Gelof with a sacrifice fly in the opening inning, increasing the A’s early lead to 2-0. He then delivered a two-run double in the third inning that proved to be the difference in the ballgame. On the season, Díaz is hitting a paltry .227/.286/.331 with only four homers, 22 RBI and one stolen base. Lourdes Gurriel Jr.: Flips script in August. Gurriel went 1-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored in Tuesday's 6-3 win over Texas. Gurriel singled and scored as part of Arizona's three-run second inning. The outfielder/DH is having a rebound August following a mid-summer slump. Gurriel has hit safely in 15 of 18 games this month and is slashing .313/.357/.547. The 2023 All-Star endured a 38-game stretch between June and July in which he batted .160/.208/.293. Randy Arozarena went 2-for-3, walked twice, scored two runs and drove in a pair as the Rays routed the Rockies on Tuesday evening. Arozarena drew a one-out walk in the third inning and scored on an RBI single by Jose Siri. He then smacked a two-run single and scored during the Rays’ nine-run uprising in the eighth inning. With his monster night at the plate, the 28-year-old is now hitting .261/.369/.430 with 19 homers, 72 RBI and 15 stolen bases on the season. Yordan Álvarez was scratched from the Astros’ starting lineup on Tuesday with an injured left index finger. It sounds like Álvarez may have slammed his finger in a door at home on Tuesday. The issue is considered very minor and the 26-year-old slugger is expected to return to action on Wednesday. Yainer Díaz will start in his place on Tuesday night against the Red Sox.

Major League Baseball (MLB) and other Cuban Players News for the 2023 season. A compendium from several sources Aug 21 Aroldis Chapman allowed a game-tying solo homer to Ketel Marte in the ninth inning on Monday in a blown save against the Diamondbacks. Chapman blew a save against the Diamondbacks on Monday, allowing one run on one hit and one walk while striking out two batters over two innings. With Texas ahead 1-0 heading into the bottom of the ninth, it was Chapman who got the call from the bullpen to close things out. He couldn't do so, allowing a game-tying solo home run to Ketel Marte with one out. Chapman did settle down from there to finish that frame and the 10th without allowing any more runs, and he looked to be in line for the win when Texas scored twice in the top of the 11th. However, Will Smith -- who has been working as the Rangers' primary closer of late -- coughed up three two-out runs to blow a save opportunity of his own. Smith has blown two of five save chances over his past seven outings while posting a 15.19 ERA and 2.25 WHIP, so Chapman could be in line for more ninth-inning opportunities, though there hasn't yet been any word of a changing of the guard between the duo. Adolis García crushes 31st homer. García went 1-for-5 with a solo home run in an extra-inning loss to Arizona on Monday. García bashed a 425-foot solo shot in the seventh inning, and for a while it looked like that would stand up with Arizona not scoring until the bottom of the ninth. The long ball was García's 31st of the campaign, tying the career-high mark he set in 2021. The star outfielder also has 93 RBI this season, and he needs just eight more to reach the career-best mark he established last year. Monday, Luis Robert, Yoán Moncada, Yasmani Grandal, and Oscar Colás combined for three hits. As the White Sox lost 14-2 to Seattle, their four Cubans went 3-for-14 with no RBIs and four strikeouts. During his three at-bats, Luis Robert went hitless, Moncada went 1-for-3 with two strikeouts, Grandal was 1-for-4 with two strikeouts, and Colás went 1-for-4 with one strikeout and a double. Adrián Morejón rehabbing at Triple-A. Morejón has made his last two rehab appearances at Triple-A El Paso, covering 1.2 innings and allowing an unearned run on one hit and no walks while striking out three between the two outings. Morejón shifted his rehab assignment to El Paso after he struck out two in a scoreless inning for the Padres' rookie-level Arizona Complex League club Aug. 4. The left-hander has been on the shelf since July 16 with right knee inflammation, an injury he picked up while fielding a bunt. Morejón was sent down to the Minors on August 17, a day he was supposed to be promoted to the Majors. Upon his reinstatement from the 15-day injured list, probably in September, he is unlikely to hold a major role in the bullpen. Dairon Blanco was not in lineup Monday. Blanco was absent from the lineup Monday against the Athletics. Blanco went 0-for-4 in Sunday's series finale at Chicago and is slashing .241/.298/.402 over 95 plate appearances this year with 15 steals in 19 attempts.

Major League Baseball (MLB) and other Cuban Players News for the 2023 season. A compendium from several sources Aug 20 Yordan Álvarez drives in two runs against Mariners. Despite the loss, Yordan Álvarez had a solid performance, driving in two runs on two hits in four at-bats. Although he didn't hit any extra-base hits or home runs in this game, Álvarez continues to be a reliable run producer for the Astros. With 66 RBI on the season, he has shown his ability to drive in runs consistently. Álvarez's overall season stats also demonstrate his power, with 21 home runs and a strong .398 wOBA. While his strikeout rate of 0.214 is a bit high, his ability to produce runs makes him one of the most valuable players in MLB right now. Oscar Colás on bench against RHP again. Colás is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Rockies. The lefty-hitting Colás took a seat for the second time in the series, with both of his absences coming against right-handed starting pitchers (Peter Lambert and Chris Flexen). Since being called up from Triple-A Charlotte on July 4, Colás hasn't fared much better in the big leagues than he did earlier in the season, when he secured a spot on the Opening Day roster coming out of spring training. He's slashing .215/.248/.299 with two home runs and two stolen bases and is striking out at a 30.7 percent clip over his 32 games since rejoining the White Sox. In spite of the White Sox not performing as well as they were meant to, Colás could be sent back to the Minors on a second trip that could be challenging for him to come back from. Luis Robert was hitless against the Rockies. In a 10-5 win over the Rockies on Sunday, Luis Robert went 0 for 4, walked, struck out, and scored a run. Robert, who hits his 33rd HR of the year on Saturday, continues to have a spectacular season with a slash line of .270/.325/.563 in 118 games and 64 extra bases, 67 RBI, and 16 stolen bases. Andy Ibáñez with one hit Sunday. As Detroit routed Cleveland 4-1, Ibáñez went 1-for-2 and was replaced midway through the game. He was Ibáñez's 63rd hit this season in an alternate role. Across 270 plate appearances, the infielder has slashed .243/.274/.402 with 7 HR and 22 RBI. With the great performance Justyn-Henry Malloy is putting in AAA Toledo - .281/.417/.469 with 18 HR and 69 RBI -, Ibáñez is in danger of losing his role and be DFA. Dairon Blanco went hitless Sunday. On Sunday, Blanco went 0 for 4 for the Royals in their 4-3 loss to the Cubs. This year, Blanco, who is largely known for his speed on the bases, has slashed .241/.298/.402 with 13 RBIs and 15 stolen bases in just 95 PA. Additionally, Blanco, who is primarily a contact hitter, has struck out 23 times in 45 games. Adolis García out of Sunday's lineup. García was not in the lineup for Sunday's game versus the Brewers. García started the past 22 contests after missing two games in late July with a hand injury, but he headed to the bench Sunday while mired in a 2-for-22 slump. J.P. Martínez took over in right field and batted sixth in the series finale against Milwaukee.

Major League Baseball (MLB) and other Cuban Players News for the 2023 season. A compendium from several sources Aug 16 Raisel Iglesias converts 23rd save. Iglesias earned a save against the Yankees on Wednesday, striking out one batter in a perfect inning. Iglesias needed just 10 pitches to set the side down in order in the ninth frame, with a strikeout of Aaron Judge among the three outs he recorded. It was Iglesias' 180th save in MLB. The veteran closer extended his streak of scoreless outings to 10, and he's picked up seven saves while posting a 15:2 K:BB over 10 innings during that span. Johan Oviedo with command issues in loss. Oviedo (6-13) took the loss Wednesday, allowing four runs on five hits and five walks over four innings against the Mets while striking out three. Oviedo really struggled with his command early on, allowing three runs on three hits and two walks in the second inning while also being charged with a balk. He issued five walks in the contest, which matched his season high, and needed 78 pitches to get through four innings. The right-hander has now lost back-to-back starts after previously winning three in a row, logging an uninspiring 7:7 K:BB over that two-game stretch. Diamondbacks' Lourdes Gurriel Jr.: Exits Wednesday with hip injury. Gurriel Jr. was removed in the fifth inning of Wednesday's game against the Rockies due to a left hip contusion. He went 0-for-2 prior to his departure. Corbin Carroll checked in off the bench ahead of the bottom of the fifth to replace Gurriel, who may have suffered the injury when he grounded out into a double play in the top of the fourth. Gurriel's early exit from Wednesday's contest resulted in his six-game on-base streak coming to an end. J.P. Martínez was held out of starting lineup Wednesday. Adolis García went hitless and Aroldis Chapman added another scoreless inning. Martínez did not start Wednesday for the first time in six games. He singled as a pinch hitter in the ninth inning of a 2-0 loss to the Angels. Martínez had one of three Texas hits in the shutout defeat He's reached base safely in all six appearances since being called up and has hits in five consecutive games. He was planned to be a brief replacement when the Rangers put Travis Jankowski on paternity leave, but Martínez played so well in first series against the Giants, he stuck with the team longer than planned. A highly touted international signee in 2018, Martínez had struggled in the minors before breaking out at Triple-A Round Rock this season, slashing .312/.427/.565 in 67 games. During the same game, Adolis García went hitless in four at-bats with two strikeouts, and Aroldis Chapman pitched another scoreless inning, allowing one hit and striking out one, to lower his season ERA to 2.18. Yordan Álvarez with his first triple. Soler went hitless. In Wednesday's 12-5 win over Miami, Álvarez went 2-for-5. Álvarez hit the first triple of the year against lefty Jesús Luzardo, and ended up scoring two runs in the game. In 324 plate appearances, he is hitting .278/.386/.571 with 21 home runs, 64 RBI, and only 69 strikeouts. Jorge Soler went 0-for-3 with two walks and a strikeout for Miami in the same game. Adrián Morejón, on the IL with knee inflammation, is expected to be out until August 19. Morejón gave up seven runs in relief in his rehab appearance with Triple-A El Paso on Tuesday. Morejón didn’t get any outs while giving up six hits and walking a batter. The left-hander had been effective in his previous three appearances since beginning his rehab, but the Padres won’t be in a hurry to bring him back after this. Aledmys Díaz made his first start of the year in the outfield in Wednesday’s game against the Cardinals. The A’s are trying to squeeze in as many righties as they can against Matthew Liberatore, which means playing Díaz in left field. Díaz, who started 22 games in left for the Astros last year, had been on the bench in four of the team’s last five games. In the 8-0 victory against the Cardinals, he went 2-for-5 with a run scored and two strikeouts. He’s hit just .220/.277/.296 in 275 plate appearances this season.

Major League Baseball (MLB) and other Cuban Players News for the 2023 season. A compendium from several sources Aug 15 Luis Robert Jr. blasts home run in White Sox victory over Cubs. Luis Robert Jr. went 2-for-5 with a home run, one RBI, and one run scored as the Chicago White Sox defeated the Chicago Cubs 5-3 on Tuesday. In his 114 games played this season, Robert Jr. has compiled a .273 batting average with 32 home runs and 66 RBI. Robert was out of the lineup for the entirety of the three-game series versus Milwaukee over the weekend due to a sprained right pinky finger, but he rejoined the starting nine for Tuesday's series opener. The 26-year-old has hit well in 25 games since the All-Star break with six home runs, eight steals, 15 RBI and an .852 OPS in 94 at-bats. Jorge Soler went 1-for-4 with a two-run homer in a tough loss to the Astros on Tuesday. Soler greeted Astros starter Cristian Javier in the third inning with a 376-foot (103.8 EV) bomb, giving the Marlins a quick 3-0 lead. With his homer, Soler became the first Marlins player to hit 30-plus homers in a season since 2017, when Marcell Ozuna and Giancarlo Stanton hit 37 and 59, respectively. It's also the first time Soler has reached the 30-homer threshold since he hit 48 with Kansas City in 2019. Despite his efforts, the Marlins fell short, losing to the Astros by a final score of 6-5. This outing adds to Soler's season stats, where he has played 114 games and has a batting average of .244 with 30 home runs and 65 RBI. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. drives in a run in Diamondbacks' win over Rockies. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. contributed to the Diamondbacks' 8-5 victory over the Rockies on Tuesday, going 2-for-5 at the plate with one RBI, one run scored, and a steal. In the game, Gurriel Jr. showcased his ability to make contact, recording two hits in five at-bats. With this performance, he now has 64 RBI on the season, along with a .259 batting average and 19 home runs. Yuli Gurriel receives his World Series ring from the Houston Astros. Tuesday night's pregame festivities at Marlins Park in Miami were all about celebrating a player who is an integral part in the Astros' transition from MLB afterthought to the league's latest dynasty. Prior to first pitch, Houston manager Dusty Baker and several former teammates awarded Gurriel with his 2022 World Series ring. Because this week's three-game set in Miami is the only meeting between the Marlins and Astros this season, Gurriel had to wait a little longer to receive his gift than some of the other players from last year's squad who have since left the organization. Gurriel, one of just five players to be a part of the Astros' 2017 and 2022 World Series title runs, spent the first seven seasons of his MLB career in Houston before signing with the Miami Marlins on a minor-league deal in March. Gurriel has since picked up a fairly prominent role with his new team, both mentoring younger players and seeing consistent playing time with the MLB club. In addition to the disappointment over his departure, Astros fans have seen his successor, José Abreu, fall far short of the caliber of player who was awarded the 2020 AL MVP award. Adolis García went hitless on Tuesday. Chapman was perfect. Adolis went 0-for-3 with a walk and a strikeout in a 7-3 victory over the Angels. In 117 games and 442 at bats, the Cuban outfielder is hitting .258/.304/.467 on the year with 30 home runs and 91 RBI. In the same game, Aroldis Chapman threw a scoreless eight innings with only 14 pitches, 12 of them strikes.In total, he struck out one. Yordan Álvarez on base three times Tuesday. The Astros beat the Marlins 6-5 on Tuesday, and Yordan got on base three times.With two walks and a run scored, Yordan went 1-for-2. His 15th double of the season came off starter Johnny Cueto in the top of the 4th inning when Yainer Díaz hit a 2-run homer to make the score 3-2.Yordan is in a mini-slump, slashing .154/.290.192 with no homers and 2 RBI in his last 7 games. Another hit for J. P. Martínez. In Texas' 7-3 win over the Angels, J. P. Martínez went 1-for-3 with a run scored and a walk. Having just made his MLB debut on Aug. 11, J.P. now has four consecutive games with at least one hit, including three games with multiple hits. In his short time at this level, the Cuban has slashed .389/.409/.444 with two RBI and five runs scored. Tuesday, Yoán Moncada, Oscar Colás, and Yasmani Grandal combined for three hits. White Sox sluggers Moncada, Colás, and Grandal combined for 3-for-11 against the Cubs in a 5-3 victory. Colás went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts, while Moncada went 2-for-4 with one RBI and one strikeout. Grandal, on the other hand, went 3-1 with a run scored, a walk, and a strikeout. The three players have been disappointing this season for different reasons, in addition to Chicago's already disappointing roster.

A WBSC update was published following the VII U-12 Baseball World Cup. Japan remains in No. 1 position and USA is No. 2 Following the conclusion of the VII U-12 Baseball World Cup earlier this month, the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) released its latest Men's Baseball World Rankings. Various men's baseball ranking tournaments dating back four years are included in the updated rankings, including the 2023 edition of the WBSC U-12 Baseball World Cup. Points earned from the WBSC U-12 Baseball World Cup 2019 have expired. There are 345 points awarded to the winner of the WBSC U-12 Baseball World Cup, 274 points awarded to the runner-up, 250 points awarded to the third place finisher, and so on until 30 points are awarded to the 12th place team. With 5,274 points, Japan remains atop the WBSC Men's Baseball World Rankings after finishing fourth at the WBSC U-12 Baseball World Cup. The second and third placed men's baseball teams also haven't changed, with the United States keeping their second place with 4,654 points and Mexico following with 4,226 points. The WBSC U-12 Baseball World Cup 2023 champions have closed the gap on Japan from 921 to 620 points and increased their lead over Mexico from 272 to 428 points. In fourth place, Korea (4,025) replaced Chinese Taipei (3,991). Another change among the top 10 is represented by the Netherlands (3,187), replacing Cuba (2,880). Currently ranked 12th in the World Rankings, Panama (2,196) moved up three places to take over the 11th spot from Italy (1,969). Participating teams in the Premier12 will be the top 12 teams in the WBSC Men's Baseball World Rankings by the end of 2023. Puerto Rico (1,902) fell two spots to 13th, while Canada (1,692) fell one spot to 14th. Participants in the WBSC U-12 Baseball World Cup Czechia (1628) replaced Colombia (1593) in 15th place, while Germany (1100) moved up two places to reach 17th. The most significant improvement in the top 50 came from New Zealand, which climbed 11 places to No. 34 after finishing 12th in the U-12 World Cup earlier this month. While El Salvador, No. 48 in the world, gained 11 places, Costa Rica, No. 50, and Mariana Islands, No. 51, gained 11 positions each. Singapore has joined the rankings while Norway, Iran, Ghana and Nigeria had their points from 2019 expire. You can find the complete list here: https://rankings.wbsc.org/en/list/baseball/men

Major League Baseball (MLB) and other Cuban Players News for the 2023 season. A compendium from several sources Aug 14 Adolis García slugged his 30th home run of the season and also walked twice against the Angels on Monday. García went 1-for-3 with two walks, a home run, two RBI and an additional run scored in Monday's 12-0 win over the Angels. García's two-run homer in the seventh inning came off Aaron Loup and was the slugger's 30th, the second time in three seasons he's hit that mark, as he finished with 31 as a rookie in 2021. The homer and RBI snapped a six-game drought without either for García, who went 3-for-23 with 11 strikeouts during that slump. He’s the American League leader with 91 RBI. Jorge Soler crushed his 29th home run of the season on Monday night, helping to power the Marlins to victory over the Astros. Soler tagged Astros’ left-hander Framber Valdéz for a 387-foot solo shot in the bottom of the eighth inning, increasing the Marlins’ advantage to 3-1. That would be his only hit in four at-bats on the night. For the season, the 31-year-old slugger is slashing .244/.333/.500 with 29 long balls and 63 RBI. J.P. Martínez logs third multi-hit game. Martínez started in left field and went 2-for-4 with an RBI and three runs scored in Monday's 12-0 win over the Angels. Martínez, who started all four games since having his contract selected from Triple-A Round Rock, has multiple hits in three straight games. He was brought up to the majors when primary left fielder Travis Jankowski was placed on paternity leave, but the Rangers optioned Jonathan Ornelas to the minors instead of Martínez when Jankowski was reinstated Monday. "J.P., he played every game (against the Giants)," Rangers manager Bruce Bochy told Shawn McFarland of the Dallas Morning News. "He came up here, he did a nice job. He gives us some nice options coming off the bench if he's not playing. He's a good defender, plays all three outfield positions, [and] you saw the at bats, you saw the speed." It sounds like Martínez and Jankowski, who also plays all three outfield positions, will work in tandem in left field while giving rest to others when needed.\ Yandy Díaz and Randy Arozarena make a good contribution in Tampa's win. Arozarena and Díaz contributed to Tampa's 10-2 victory over the Giants on Monday. Díaz, who leads the American League with a .323 average (127-for-393), went 2 for 6 with his 26th double, 60th RBI, and two strikeouts. During the same game, Arozarena went 2-for-4 with two walks, two runs scored, and a strikeout. This year, Yandy has hit .323/.402/.511 with 16 HR and 68 RBI, while Arozarena has hit .258, .365, and .427 with 18 HR and 68 RBI. Royals released INF Adeiny Hechavarría. Hechavarría signed a minor league pact with the Royals back in mid-June and winds up back in the free agent waters after batting .220/.291/.425 with six homers in 36 games for Triple-A Omaha. The 34-year-old journeyman infielder last appeared in the majors during the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign when he got into 27 contests for the Braves.

Major League Baseball (MLB) and other Cuban Players News for the 2023 season. A compendium from several sources Aug 13 J.P. Martínez logged two hits in loss. Martínez started in right field and went 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored in Sunday's 3-2 extra-inning loss to San Francisco. The Rangers were stifled for 8.2 innings by Logan Webb before Martínez doubled and scored on Ezequiel Durán's infield single. Martínez had his contract selected from Triple-A Round Rock on Friday, when Travis Jankowski was placed on the paternity list, and went 4-for-11 with a walk and an RBI in three games. Once Jankowski returns to MLB, his stint might be over, unless he proves he is worth staying. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. came off the bench and crushed a pinch-hit two-run homer on Sunday, helping to lead the Diamondbacks to a come-from-behind victory over the Padres. Gurriel went 1-for-2 with a two-run home run in Sunday's 5-4 win over the Padres. The 29-year-old slugger was called upon to face Nick Martínez with a man on and a man out in the seventh inning, and he clobbered a 383-foot two-run blast to tie the game at 4-4. Through 11 games in August, Gurriel has gone 13-for-38 (.342) with four homers and six RBI. He's up to 19 long balls on the year while adding 63 RBI, 47 runs scored, three stolen bases, 25 doubles, two triples and a .258/.307/.473 slash line over 105 contests. José Abreu is expected to be out until Aug 20. Abreu was placed on the 10-day injured list with lower-back inflammation Saturday and is expected to be out until August 20. Abreu received two cortisone shots to address the issue Friday, but he'll also need at least 10 days to rest and heal. Back issues may be part of the reason Abreu has slashed just .234/.291/.343 in his first season in Houston, so it's possible better things await down the stretch if his time off fully heals the issue. Jon Singleton is set to play at first base Saturday during the time Abreu is out. Yulieski Gurriel with one hit Sunday. When Jorge Soler missed the game, Yulieski Gurriel was placed in the regular lineup for the Marlins' 8-7 win against the Yankees. Gurriel went 1-for-4 with a run scored in the game. A .266/324/.383 slash line with 3 home runs and 20 RBI is Gurriel's best, however in his last 7 games, he is hitting just .176/.176/.294 going 3-for-17 with no runs scored, no RBIs and 5 strikeouts. Aroldis Chapman with another scoreless inning. In Sunday's 3-2 extra-inning loss to the Giants, Chapman pitched a scoreless ninth inning. Despite allowing one single, Chapman struck out three. He threw 18 pitches, 16 of which were strikes. During his last 15 games, Chapman has a 1.93 ERA in 14 innings and a 29:4 K:BB ratio. Luis Robert Jr. was not in the White Sox’ starting lineup for Sunday’s finale against the Brewers. Robert Jr. missed his third game in a row after he was removed from Wednesday’s game with a sprained right pinky. He is still considered day-to-day for now. Adolis García was hitless on Sunday. García went 0-for-4 with a strikeout in Sunday's 3-2 loss to the Giants. García is just 11 RBI away from his second 100-RBI season and one home run away from his second 30-plus homer season. Currently, he is slashing .259/.338/.514 with 29 HR, 89 RBI, 87 runs, and 7 stolen bases. On Sunday, Yoan Moncada and Oscar Colas went hitless. Colás and Moncada went hitless in a 7-3 loss to Milwaukee. Colás also drew a walk in the game, while both players combined to go 0-for-7 with two strikeouts. With an injury-plagued season, Moncada is hitting .229/.278/.353, with four homers and 19 RBI, while Colás has a .215/.259/.291 offensive line with three homers and 13 RBI. Cionel Pérez and Yennier Cano combined for two scoreless innings. In Sunday's 5-3 victory over the Mariners, both Perez and Cano went scoreless. After Pérez pitched a scoreless seventh inning with two strikeouts, Cano pitched a clean eighth inning with one strikeout. For a team that looks like it could win the AL title this year, both relievers have been good. Jorge Soler was not in the Marlins’ starting lineup for Sunday’s finale against the Yankees. It was the second game in a row that Soler missed, but the team has not announced if the 31-year-old is dealing with an illness or an injury. Over his last 30 games, Soler is hitting .250/.321/.448 with five homers and 15 RBI. Yasmani Grandal sat on Sunday. Grandal wasn't in the White Sox's lineup Sunday against the Brewers. After going 0-for-7 across the first two games of the series, Grandal took a seat for Sunday's finale.