Major League Baseball (MLB) and other Cuban Players News for the 2023 season. A compendium from several sources Aug 11 Johan Oviedo allowed six runs over five innings Friday in a loss to the Reds. All-or-nothing Oviedo struck again; he’s given up five runs in four of his last 10 outings and a total of six runs in the remaining six. Oviedo (6-12) absorbed the loss Friday versus the Reds, allowing six runs on five hits and two walks in five innings. He struck out four. Things looked ominous right away for the big right-hander, as the first four batters of the game reached and three of them scored. Oviedo looked like he might settle in after that in retiring 10 of the next 11, but then light-hitting catcher Luke Maile clubbed a three-run shot in the fourth inning. He needed 93 pitches to cover his five frames. This performance adds to his season-long struggles, as he now has a 4.42 ERA and a 1.31 WHIP in 24 games started. Despite a solid strikeout rate of 8.0 K/9 and a respectable 2.16 strikeout-to-walk ratio, Oviedo's 4.20 FIP suggests that he may have been somewhat unlucky this season. Nonetheless, his 6 wins and 12 losses indicate that he has had difficulty finding consistent success on the mound. Dairon Blanco stole two bases on Friday in the Royals’ win over the Cardinals. The amazing part here is that Blanco didn’t enter the contest until coming off the bench in the eighth inning as a pinch-runner. The 30-year-old speedster is up to 14 stolen bases already in just 38 games this season, and will continue to serve as a reserve outfielder and pinch-running specialist. J.P. Martínez made his MLB debut. A 2-1 victory over the Giants was Julio Pablo Martínez's MLB debut for the Rangers on Friday. It was his first appearance in MLB as Cuban No. 387. His 0-for-3 game included a walk and a strikeout. Texas selected Martínez's contract from Triple-A Round Rock on Friday. Martínez has put up an excellent .311/.435/.558 batting line with 12 homers and 36 steals over 72 games this summer in the Rangers' minor-league system, but the 27-year-old outfielder might only be up for a brief cup of coffee while Travis Jankowski is away on paternity leave. Aroldis Chapman with another hold. Chapman walked one and struck out three over a scoreless eighth inning to record his 13 hold in Friday's 2-1 win over the Giants. Chapman recorded a fifth straight hold, all which have come with him pitching the eighth inning. Chapman's been brilliant since being acquired from Kansas City in late June, posting a 26:4 K:BB over 13 innings. The lone blemish was a blown save July 24 against division rival Houston. Jorge Soler finished 0-for-4 and struck out twice against the Yankees on Friday. Soler does have a couple of homers this week, but he’s batting just .209/.279/.363 in his last 23 games. The Marlins recently moved him into the leadoff spot, but they probably should have gone in the other direction with him. Yankees placed LHP Nestor Cortés on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to August 8, with a left rotator cuff strain. Cortés heads back to the injured list just a few days after returning from the same injury issue. The 28-year-old southpaw was scheduled to start Saturday’s game against the Marlins. Adrián Morejón: Expected to be out until August 14. Morejón went on the injured list July 16 due to a right knee strain. It was the second significant injury of the season for the southpaw, who missed over two months to start the campaign with a left elbow strain. Morejón has been limited to eight big-league appearances this season, allowing seven earned runs and posting an 8:5 K:BB over nine innings. Luis Robert Jr. was not in the White Sox’ lineup for Friday’s game against the Brewers. No surprise here after Luis Robert Jr. was removed from Wednesday’s game against the Yankees with a sprained right pinky finger. X-rays came back negative for any fractures and he’s officially day-to-day. José Abreu remained out of the Astros’ lineup for Friday’s series opener against the Angels. He continues to battle with lower-back discomfort. Astros manager Dusty Baker said an MRI showed nothing "too serious". However, this is bad news for Abreu, who saw his replacement, Jon Singleton, going 3-for-4 with two homers and 5 RBI in an 11-3 victory against the Angels.

A list of 40 players was announced The Cuban National Baseball Commission announced yesterday, during a press conference held at the Latin American Stadium that scouts from American and Asian professional leagues will be invited for a tryout in Havana on September 11-13. It was also announced that the individual leaders and all-star players of the recently concluded 62nd National Baseball Series, that crowned Las Tunas as the new Cuban champion, will be honored in a special television program. This will probably occur during the announcement of the II Elite League of Cuban Baseball reinforcements. Cuba National Baseball Commissioner Juan Reinaldo Pérez Pardo announced all of the above. For the tryout the Cuban Baseball Federation has advanced a list of 40 players. The list is still under construction, so it can be increased further. A member of the National Commission, Ricardo Eizméndiz, confirmed that South Korean teams, as well as the Softbank Falcons from the Japanese circuit, were interested. In the coming days, he said, they will receive new confirmations. In September, specialists from Mexico and the United States will also conduct a clinic focused on pitchers, which will begin a series that will feature other topics, including refereeing. The 40 Players Announced Pitchers Yeudis Reyes Gamboa, Guantánamo Miguel A. Neira Mendoza, Sancti Spíritus José Grandales Rodríguez, Sancti Spíritus Naykel Cruz Zaldívar, Matanzas José Ignacio Bermúdez García, Mayabeque Naikis Piedra González, Matanzas Rafael Orlando Perdomo Eizmendiz, Industriales Alberto Echevarría González, Isla de la Juventud Albert Valladares Sánchez, Mayabeque Yan Edwin Cabrera, Villa Clara Fernando Ramos Ramírez, Camagüey Leonardo Alberto Ocle Bouly, Pinar del Rio Renner Rivero Estrada, Matanzas Raymond Figueredo Cruz, Industriales Juan Xavier Peñalver Hernández, Industriales Jonathan Cruz Castellano, Industriales Dorvis Lornet Navarro Queralta, Isla de la Juventud Franky Quintana Gamboa, Isla de la Juventud Darío Sarduy Medina, Villa Clara Edgar Luis Zulueta Iznaga, Sancti Spíritus Catchers Andrys Pérez García, Matanzas Carlos Chávez Sahara, Sancti Spíritus Leonardo Montero Alfonso, Villa Clara Infielders Xian Vega Urrutia, Cienfuegos Guillermo Avilés Difurnó, Granma Osday Silva Hernández, Santiago de Cuba Adrián Jesús Pérez García, Matanzas Roberto Suliban Baldoquín, Las Tunas Cristian Rodríguez García, Villa Clara Frank R. González Abascal, Pinar del Río Jonathan Bridón Sarduy, Ciego de Ávila Infielders/Outfielders Yasniel González Vega, Mayabeque Carlos Monier Torres, Santiago de Cuuba Outfielders Yaser J. González Castro, Pinar del Rio Luis González Ascuy, Camagüey Javier Alejandro Escobar Martínez, Sancti Spíritus Darían Palma Fonseca, Granma Danger Rafael Casi Cutiño, Guantánamo Yandro Manuel Hernández Castellón, La Habana Jean Lucas Baldoquín Martínez, Las Tunas

Major League Baseball (MLB) and other Cuban Players News for the 2023 season. A compendium from several sources Aug 10 Randy Arozarena singled and stole two bases on Thursday in the Rays’ shutout loss to the Cardinals. Arozarena went 1-for-3 with a walk and two stolen bases Thursday in a loss to the Cardinals. As expected, Arozarena was fired up to face his former organization, notching his second multi-steal effort of the season. He stole second and third base after singling in the first frame, but the Rays couldn't cash him in. That was the only time Tampa Bay got a runner to third base over Matthew Liberatore's sterling eight-inning outing. The 28-year-old superstar is up to 18 homers and 14 stolen bases and remains on track to eclipse the 20-homer and 20-steal thresholds for the third consecutive campaign. Cionel Pérez and Yennier Cano hold lead. In Thursday's 5-4 win over the Astros, Pérez allowed one run and one hit over two thirds of an inning. During his first back-to-back appearances this month, Pérez threw 19 pitches (14 strikes).Pérez has allowed three runs in his last 15 games. The left-hander, however, has been consistent during that period, with a 3-0 record and an ERA of 1.80, along with a 15:8 K:BB ratio. Pérez was followed by another Cuban reliever on the Orioles' staff, Yennier Cano. To end the 8th inning, Cano got one out in relief of Pérez, striking out one batter and allowing a single. José Abreu got the day off Thursday. Astros manager Dusty Baker said José Abreu’s lower back “is acting up.” Abreu was not in the lineup for Thursday's game in Baltimore. Abreu just had an off day Saturday after not previously having one since June 23. Manager Dusty Baker says that Abreu is dealing with lower back pain and the team will evaluate him when they return to Houston on Friday to start a series against the Angels. There’s no word on how long Abreu might be sidelined, but it appears to just be a day-to-day situation for now. Jon Singleton is taking his place in first base for now and could conceivably draw a few more starts if Abreu misses time. Yordan Álvarez with one single Thursday. In Thursday's 5-4 loss to the Orioles, Álvarez was quiet. With a walk and a strikeout, he went 1-for-4. In 70 games this year, he has slashed .283/.389/.590 with 21 homers and 62 RBI. Álvarez is on pace to hit 30+ home runs for the third consecutive year.

Major League Baseball (MLB) and other Cuban Players News for the 2023 season. A compendium from several sources Aug 9 Raisel Iglesias earned his 22nd save in a 6-5 win over the Pirates on Wednesday. The right-hander didn’t make it easy on himself. After getting the first two batters out, he allowed back-to-back singles before striking out Henry Davis to end the threat. Iglesias has a 3.28 ERA on the year and has his highest BABIP and walk rate since 2019. His role as closer of the Braves has also been a gift and a curse as the team has been so good for stretches that they haven’t needed to turn to their closer as often. With his velocity dipping to his lowest mark since his rookie year, it’s possible Iglesias as entered the tail end of his career, but he remains a solid reliever. He's converted 12 straight opportunities, and the 33-year-old closer has a 2.84 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 26:4 K:BB over 19 innings since his last blown save June 12. Yoán Moncada went 2-for-3 with two doubles, a run scored, and an RBI on Wednesday in a 9-2 win against the Yankees. Moncada led off the second inning with a double and came around to score the first run of the game on a single by Yasmani Grandal. Moncada drove in another run with his second double off Luis Severino in the third inning. He’d later draw a walk to lead off the eighth. The 28-year-old third baseman is hitting .223/.276/.335 with three homers and 17 RBI across 203 plate appearances. Oscar Colás homers in return. Colás went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run and an additional run scored Wednesday in a 9-2 win against the Yankees. Colás missed a couple of games due to leg soreness, but he looked strong in his return Wednesday. The rookie outfielder added to Luis Severino's season-long struggles with a two-run shot off the veteran hurler in the second inning. The long ball gave Colás a modest five-game hitting streak, during which he is slashing .316/.350/.632 with two homers, three RBI and six runs scored. The 24-year-old outfielder is hitting .221/.259/.301 across 175 plate appearances this year. In Wednesday's game, Yordan Álvarez and José Abreu combined for one hit. Against the Orioles on Wednesday, Yordan and Abreu combined for 1-for-9. Abreu went 1-for-4 with a run scored and Yordan went 0-for-5 with two strikeouts. This season has been completely different for both players. In 69 games with the Astros, Yordan is hitting .283/.389/.595 with 21 HR and 62 RBI, while Abreu is hitting a meager .234/.291/.343 with 10 HR and 56 RBI in 110 games. Luis Robert Jr. was removed from Wednesday’s game against the Yankees with a sprained right pinky finger. Robert Jr. is officially day-to-day after precautionary X-rays came back negative for any fractures. The 26-year-old superstar suffered the injury during the third inning of Wednesday’s contest when he jammed his right hand on a head-first slide into third base on his second stolen base of the night. He was 1-for-1 with a walk and a run scored in an 9-2 victory over the Yankees. Yasmani Grandal was in the White Sox’ lineup for Wednesday’s game against the Yankees. Grandal started at catcher and batted seventh in Wednesday's game against the Yankees. Grandal was lifted after five innings in Tuesday's 7-1 loss due to a sore left knee, but the injury wasn't significant enough to keep him on the bench for the series finale. The veteran backstop took a .683 OPS -- the second-lowest mark of his career -- into Wednesday's contest, and he went 2-for-3 with a walk and adding his 31st RBI of the year. Jorge Soler was ejected from Wednesday’s game in the eighth inning for arguing a called strike three. Both Jorge Soler and manager Skip Schumaker were ejected from Wednesday's matchup against the Cincinnati Reds after arguing a strikeout call. In the top of the 8th inning, after a questionable strikeout call of Soler, both the outfielder and his manager were tossed from the game by umpire Bill Miller. Soler was 1-for-4 as the Marlins’ DH. The 31-year-old has enjoyed a remarkable season for the Miami Marlins this year, earning the first All-Star selection of his career. Through 110 games this season, Soler has recorded 28 home runs, 62 RBIs, and a .246 batting average. Andy Ibáñez: Sits in third straight game Ibáñez was out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Twins. Ibáñez appears to have lost hold of a regular spot in the Detroit lineup, as he finds himself on the bench versus a right-handed starting pitcher (Bailey Ober) for the third straight game. Zach McKinstry got the starting nod at second base Wednesday, and both he and Nick Maton appear to have the edge over Ibáñez for playing time at the keystone at the moment. Rangers call up Julio Pablo Martínez. The Texas Rangers called up Cuban outfielder Julio Pablo Martínez from the minors on Wednesday, according to sources. Martínez will join the team in Oakland on Wednesday evening and will be activated on Friday in San Francisco. He spent five seasons in the minors after signing in 2018 for $2.8 million. The 27-year-old left-handed slugger gets his first call to the big leagues after impressing at Triple-A Round Rock to the tune of a .312/.427/.565 slash line with a .992 OPS, 12 home runs, 20 doubles, 55 RBI, 33 stolen bases and 49 runs scored in 67 games played. With some power and/or speed, will see if Julio Pablo sees enough playing time in Texas.

Major League Baseball (MLB) and other Cuban Players News for the 2023 season. A compendium from several sources Aug 7 Luis Robert reaches 64 RBI. Luis Robert went 1-for-4 with two RBI as the White Sox topped the Yankees 5-1 on Monday. Luis Robert Jr. contributed a two-run double to Chicago's five-run eighth inning and helped Chicago extend its lead. Luis Robert has already played in a career-high 110 games this season, slashing .270/.323/.558 with 30 HR and 64 RBI in 463 plate appearances as well as stealing 14 bases, which is a career high. Aroldis Chapman holds lead Monday. Chapman (5-2) pitched a scoreless eighth inning in a 5-3 win over Oakland on Monday to get his hold #12 of the year. In the eighth inning, he struck out the side and walked one. Chapman was the pitcher for Texas in the bottom of the eighth when the Rangers took the lead in the top of that frame. Chapman has allowed three runs - in his only bad outing on Jul 24 against the Astros -, while striking out 20 over 11 innings since coming over from Kansas City. Monday, Yoán Moncada and Yasmani Grandal combined for no hits. In Monday's 5-1 victory over the Yankees, Moncada and Grandal combined to go 0-for-5 with one strikeout. It has now been 14 consecutive at bats without a hit for Moncada. Additionally, he struck out and walked. As for Grandal, he went 0-for-2 with a walk in his fifth consecutive start. Adolis García added double 24 on Monday. García went 1-for-4 with his double #24 of the year, a walk and a run scored in Monday's 5-3 win over the A's. He struck out twice. García, had homered four times and added five RBI while going 9-for-23 (.391) over seven games in August. The outfielder has maintained an impressive .266/.343/.532 slash line with 29 HR, 89 RBI, 85 runs scored, seven stolen bases and 24 doubles through 110 contests this year. Jorge Soler belts HR #27. Yuli Gurriel hitless. Jorge Soler went 1-for-4 with a RBI and 2 strikeouts Monday in a 5-2 loss to the Reds. Jorge In the top of the first, Soler hit his 27th homer of the season to give the Marlins a 1-0 lead. He went 0-for-3 with 2 strikeouts in the rest of the contest. In 109 games, the power outfielder has slashed .241/.331/.491 with 27 HR, 60 RBI, and 112 strikeouts. In the same game, Yuli Gurriel went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts. In his first season with the Marlins Gurriel is hitting .270/.328/.386 with 3 HR and 20 RBI. Dairon Blanco: Hitless on Monday. Blanco went 0-for-3 Monday in a 6-2 loss to the Red Sox. Blanco walked and struck out, leaving his slash line in .237/.293/.395 for the year. He has 12 RBI and 12 stolen bases. Oscar Colás was out of White Sox Monday's lineup. Colás was not in the lineup for Monday's game against the Yankees. Colás got a day off after starting 14 straight games for the White Sox. Andy Ibáñez went to the bench Monday. Ibáñez was out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Twins. Nick Maton got the starting nod at second base in the series opener versus Minnesota, but Ibáñez manned the keystone for each of the previous three games and appears to be Detroit's preferred option at the position. Ibáñez closed the weekend series with the Rays with a pair of two-hit games and is now batting .288 since the All-Star break.

Major League Baseball (MLB) and other Cuban Players News for the 2023 season. A compendium from several sources Aug 6 Yandy Díaz hit a home run and finished 3-for-5 with two RBI against the Tigers on Sunday. Díaz went 3-for-5 with a two-run homer, a double and three runs scored in Sunday's win over the Tigers. Díaz led off the game with a double and then sent a screamer to left center in the second to put the Rays up 5-0. The home run was 410 feet and left the bat at 108.6 mph; it was Díaz’s 16th of the season. Díaz is on pace to set career highs in home runs, RBI, and runs scored in his age 31 season. While not a plus runner, he has produced like an elite lead-off hitter for Tampa; however, the home run was only his fourth since May 26th, so the early season power boom looks like a bit of a mirage. However, Díaz has cemented himself as one of the elite leadoff men in baseball this season and is now slashing .315/.398/.508 with 16 homers, 55 RBI, 67 runs and a .906 OPS. Adolis García crushed his 29th home run of the season on Sunday afternoon, helping to power the Rangers to victory over the Marlins. García went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Sunday's 6-0 win over the Marlins. García has homered four times and added five RBI while going 8-for-19 (.421) over six games in August. The 30-year-old slugger capped off the scoring in the ballgame with his mammoth 444-foot (105.8 mph EV) solo shot off of Geoff Hartlieb in the eighth inning. He finished the day with a pair of runs scored and is now hitting .266/.343/.533 with 29 long balls, 89 RBI, 84 runs scored, seven stolen bases, and 23 doubles on the season. Johan Oviedo tossed seven shutout innings Sunday in the Pirates’ 4-1 defeat of the Brewers. Oviedo (6-11) earned the win over the Brewers on Sunday after tossing seven scoreless innings while allowing just two hits and walking three. He struck out six. He's allowed one run or fewer in four of his last five starts and has totaled 11 such starts this season which is the second most in the National League. With Sunday's spectacular outing, Oviedo has tied Mitch Keller for the team lead with 12 quality starts and now possesses the lowest ERA on the team with a 4.18. The only knack on the 25-year-old is he's issued multiple walks in seven consecutive starts. On the whole, it’s been a pretty encouraging year for the former Cardinal; he’s picked up some velocity and performed as a slightly above average starting pitcher with his 4.18 ERA and 117/54 K/BB ratio in 131 1/3 innings. He probably doesn’t have much upside beyond this, but the Pirates are happy to have him. Sunday, José Abreu was hitless. Abreu is unrecognizable. Upon returning to the Astros' lineup on Sunday, he went 0-for-4 in a 9-7 victory over the Yankees. Moreover, Abreu struck out three times, and the player the Astros expected to replace Yuli Gurriel at first base does not seem to be up to the task. Having hit .237/.293/.348 in 108 games with 10 HRs, 56 RBIs and 105 strikeouts, Abreu has had his worst season since joining the Majors in 2014. Yordan Álvarez hits his 21st home run. In Sunday's 9-7 win over the Yankees, Álvarez went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run. Álvarez has 21 home runs on the season and has hit safely in nine of ten games since returning from a 39-game injury absence. With 62 RBI and a slash line of .290/.396/.613, he's on pace for his third consecutive season of 30+ home runs. Yasmani Grandal reclaims top catching job. Grandal started at catcher and batted seventh in Sunday's 5-3 win over the Guardians. He went 1-for-4 with two strikeouts. After sitting out a stretch of three straight games from last Sunday through Wednesday, Grandal has now picked up starts behind the plate in four straight contests. Though Grandal is holding down an unremarkable .688 OPS for the season, the White Sox are viewing him as the only option at catcher with Seby Zavala added to the IL and expected to be out until August 13. Cionel Pérez collects fourth win. Pérez (4-1) pitched 1 1/3 innings to earn the win in Sunday's 2-0 victory over the Mets. Perez relieved starter Kyle Bradish for the final out of the fifth inning, retiring D J. Steward with bases loaded. The Orioles then took the lead in the bottom of the fifth inning. Pérez pitched another scoreless inning, then relievers paved the way for Félix Bautista, who closed out the game. Overall, Pérez is at a 4.30 ERA, 1.70 WHIP and 29:22 K:BB with eight holds and one save through 37.2 innings. Yoán Moncada went hitless on Sunday. In a 5-3 win over the Guardians, Moncada continued his poor season batting 0-for-5 and two strikeouts. It is the third straight game without a hit for the third baseman. He is hitless in his last 11 AB. As a result of injuries, Moncada has only played in 49 games, posting a poor offensive line of .218/.262/.324 with 3 HR and 16 RBI. Yuli Gurriel went 2-for-3 with a double as the Marlins were shut out by the Rangers on Sunday afternoon in Arlington. As a team, the Marlins collected just six hits in the ballgame, with Gurriel the only member of the squad to tally more than one. The 39-year-old has done a decent job in a limited role with the Marlins — slashing .273/.332/.391 with three homers, 20 RBI and four stolen bases in 265 plate appearances.

Major League Baseball (MLB) and other Cuban Players News for the 2023 season. A compendium from several sources Aug 5 Luis Robert Jr. went 2-for-3 with his 30th homer, two steals and a walk Saturday against the Guardians. Robert went 2-for-3 with a solo home run, a walk and two stolen bases in Saturday's 7-4 win over the Guardians. Robert flexed both his power and speed in the victory, kicking off the scoring with a solo homer in the third inning and swiping a pair of bags in the fifth. The talented outfielder has already reached career-best marks with 30 homers and 14 thefts through 108 games on the campaign. Robert is probably going to wind up this season with as many homers as his first three years combined (36 in 924 PA). He’s now up to 14 steals, too, and it looks like he could record just the second 30 HR-20 SB season in White Sox history. Magglio Ordóñez had 31 homers and 25 steals in 2001. Robert and Shohei Ohtani are the only players in the majors so far this season to notch at least 30 long balls and 10 steals. Néstor Cortés fanned eight while allowing just one run in four innings Saturday against the Astros. Cortés did not factor into the decision Saturday, allowing one run on one hit and one walk over four innings against Houston. He struck out eight. Cortés walked José Altuve to open the game before striking out the side, all swinging, to get out of the inning. The lefty would then give up a solo home run to Altuve in the third, though it was the only hit he allowed over his four innings of work, while posting a season-high eight strikeouts. Cortés even struck out the side in order before heading to the bench and he's now fanned at least five batters in each of his last four starts. Cortés averaged 93.0 mph with his fastball today, that’s the highest mark of his career and 1.5 mph than he was averaging before getting hurt this year. Of course, it also might have had something to do with the fact that he knew he was on a pitch count of 65. The Yankees certainly have to feel good about what they saw out of Cortés in his return to the rotation following the shoulder injury. José Abreu was not in the Astros’ starting lineup for Saturday’s game against the Yankees. It appeared to be a regular day off as the 36-year-old has played in 35 consecutive games. Abreu hasn't had a day off since June 23. He is hitting .216 with two home runs over his last 10 games. The 36-year-old has been a massive disappointment this season, hitting .239/.296/.351 with ten homers and 56 RBI across 450 plate appearances. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. went 1-for-3 with a home run on Saturday against the Twins. Gurriel Jr. homered in the second inning off Kenta Maeda for his 18th homer of the season. He also walked. The 29-year-old outfielder is hitting .253/.302/.470 with 18 homers and 60 RBI across 407 plate appearances. Oscar Colás homered on Saturday. Colás that was demoted to Triple-A at the beginning of May and the was recalled on July 4, has slumped the all year. On yesterday's game, he went 1-for-4 with his second homer of the season off Noah Syndergaard. Colás has been a disappointment for Chicago, batting .219/.259/.284 with 2 homers and 11 RBI across 167 plate appearances. Jorge Soler with two RBI Saturday. Soler went 1-for-3 with two walks in Saturday's 9-8 loss to the Rangers. The veteran slugger added two RBI and two runs. Soler extended his hitting streak to eight games in the process, and with 26 homers and 59 RBI through 107 contests, he remains on pace for his best power numbers since his 2019 campaign with the Royals. Yennier Cano closed the game Saturday. Cano closed Saturday's 7-4 victory against the Mets, pitching a ninth inning of one hit. He had two strikeouts. The 29-year-old was called upon to close out the game with Felix Bautista seemingly unavailable to pitch and was effective one again. Cano faced four hitters and used 19 pitches - 12 strikes - without giving up a run in his 49 appearance this year. He now has a 1.01 WHIP and 49:9 K:BB over 53.1 innings. Andy Ibáñez late addition to lineup. Ibáñez was a late addition to Saturday's lineup against the Rays, batting sixth and manning second base. This was Ibáñez's second start against a righty since July 24. He went 2-for-4 with a run scored in a 4-2 victory against the struggling Rays. On Saturday, Yoán Moncada was absent from the lineup and entered the game late. Yoán Moncada was missing from the lineup for the Chicago White Sox against the Cleveland Guardians Saturday. Originally, Moncada was on regular rest, with Zach Remillard filling in at third base and batting ninth, but he entered the game late and went 0-for-2 with a strikeout.

Major League Baseball (MLB) and other Cuban Players News for the 2023 season. A compendium from several sources Aug 4 Adolis García went 3-for-3 with two solo homers on Friday, powering the Rangers to a 6-2 victory over the Marlins. García lifted an opposite-field shot just inside the right-field foul pole in the third inning before clobbering an absolute moonshot to center field in the sixth inning off Marlins starter Jesús Luzardo for his third multi-homer performance of the season. The 30-year-old is up to 28 round-trippers on the year and also leads the American League with 88 RBI across 107 games. García also has 108 hits, solidifying his status as one of the Rangers' most productive hitters. Yordan Álvarez blasts 20th homer. Álvarez went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Friday's win over the Yankees. Álvarez is up to 20 home runs on the season and has hit safely in each of his eight games since returning from a 39-game stint on the injured list. His 1.017 OPS is nearly identical to last season and despite the missed time, he's still on pace for a third consecutive season with 30 or more homers. A healthy Álvarez remains one of the best hitters in the game and a stalwart in the heart of the Astros lineup. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. goes deep in Diamondbacks' loss to Twins Gurriel Jr. had a solid performance in Friday's game against the Twins, going 1-for-3 at the plate with a home run, an RBI, and two runs scored, but it wasn't enough as the Diamondbacks fell to Minnesota by a score of 3-2. On the season, Gurriel Jr. has played 98 games and has compiled a .253 batting average with 17 home runs, 59 RBI, and 45 runs scored. José Abreu was hitless on Friday. Abreu can't find his way to a strong performance, going 0-for-5 with two strikeouts against the Yankees on Friday's 7-3 victory. In August, Abreu is 2-for-15 with an offensive line of .133/.235/.133, and his 2 home runs and 5 RBIs in consecutive games on July 28 and 29 seem like a long way off for a player who already has 7 strikeouts in just four games this month. Dairon Blanco with three RBI and three stolen bases. Blanco went 1-for-3 with a sacrifice, three stolen bases and three RBI in Tuesday's 7-5 win over the Phillies. Blanco became the the first player to record 3 RBI and 3 SB in a game since Jose Altuve did it 10 years ago on Sept. 10, 2013. Since July 15 Blanco is hitting .391/.417/.609 with 9 RBI and 7 stolen bases in 15 games. Friday's performance also tied a single-game career high in RBI for the outfielder. Blanco is now slashing .246/.297/.420 with 12 steals through 33 games this season. No hits for Yulieski Gurriel against Texas. In Friday's 6-2 loss to the Rangers, Gurriel went 0-for-3. After striking out twice, the veteran first baseman's batting average for the year fell to .268. Gurriel will need to turn things around soon if he hopes to keep his place in the lineup. Friday night, Yandy Díaz and Randy Arozarena combined to go 2-for-9. Andy was hitless. As part of an 8-0 victory over Detroit, Díaz went 1-for-5 with his 53 RBI of the year and a strikeout. While, Arozarena continued his poor offensive performance, he went 1-for-4 with a walk and three strikeouts. Meanwhile in the same game, Andy Ibáñez went 0-for-2 for Detroit and was replaced by PH Nick Matton. Oscar Colás and Luis Robert had hits, but Yasmani Grandal and Yoán Moncada did not. In Friday's 4-2 loss to the Guardians, Luis Robert went 1-for-4 with two strikeouts. As for Oscar Colás, he went 1-for-3 with a walk and a run. While Grandal and Moncada combined for an 0-for-7 performance with three strikeouts and a walk. There was also a throwing error by Grandal. The only Cuban in the disappointing White Sox roster doing well is Luis Robert, who is hitting .267/.319/.549 with 29 HR, 60 RBI, and 12 stolen bases.

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.

Major League Baseball (MLB) and other Cuban Players News for the 2023 season. A compendium from several sources Aug 2 Jorge Soler belts 26th homer. Soler went 1-for-6 with a solo home run in Wednesday's 9-8 extra-innings win over the Phillies. With the Marlins down by a run in the bottom of the ninth inning, Soler crushed a 98.8 mph sinker from Gregory Soto to right-center field to tie the game at 5-5, setting the stage for a wild finish. The 31-year-old slugger was ice cold coming out of the All-Star break, batting .136 (6-for-44) in 11 games with a 36.7 percent strikeout rate, but he's now hit safely in five straight and gone yard in two of the last three contests while fanning only four times. On the season, Soler's up to 26 homers and 57 RBI through 104 games with an .825 OPS that would be his highest mark since 2019 -- the year he launched 48 homers for the Royals. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. went 2-for-4 with a run scored on Wednesday against the Giants. Gurriel went 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored in Wednesday's 4-2 loss to San Francisco. Gurriel doubled in the first inning and scored Arizona's second run on a single, as the Diamondbacks raced to an early 2-0 lead. He was the last D-back to reach second base, as the bats went silent from then on out. Gurriel's stick, however, has been relatively active compared to the rest of the lineup during a three-game sweep by the Giants. He has hits in four consecutive games, going 6-for-15 with two doubles, a home run, two RBI and two runs scored. The outburst follows a 10-game stretch during which Gurriel went 2-for-39 (.051). The 29-year-old outfielder is hitting .252/.299/.458 with 16 homers and 58 RBI across 395 plate appearances. Néstor Cortés will start on Saturday against the Astros. Cortés skipped his final minor league rehab start on Wednesday for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to jump back into New York’s starting rotation this weekend. He’s been out since early June due to a left shoulder sprain. Miguel Vargas homered Tuesday for the third time in his last four games with Triple-A Oklahoma City. The Dodgers have to be happy with how Vargas is performing since his demotion; he’s hitting .313/.425/.597 with five homers in 16 games. It’s not likely to earn him another chance right away, but it’s still good news. Yasmani Grandal: On bench again Wednesday. Grandal was not in the lineup Wednesday against the Rangers. Grandal hasn't drawn a start since Saturday, though he came off the bench Tuesday and there's no word of any new physical issue. Braves placed RHP Daysbel Hernández on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to August 1, with right forearm inflammation. Brad Hand will slide into the open roster spot. Hernández made his major league debut last month and gave up three runs over 3 2/3 innings in four appearances. Aledmys Díaz was out of Wednesday's lineup. Díaz was not in the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Dodgers. Díaz is 2-for-16 over his past seven games and took a seat for Wednesday's matchup with Los Angeles. Andy Ibáñez was benched on Wednesday. Ibáñez is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game in Pittsburgh. Ibáñez's hold on a near-everyday role appears to be slipping, as he'll now hit the bench for the fifth time in eight games. Nick Maton got the nod at the keystone Wednesday, and the Tigers may continue to take a committee approach to second base until one player separates himself from the other as the best option. Ibáñez has produced an underwhelming .660 OPS since the beginning of July.

Major League Baseball (MLB) and other Cuban Players News for the 2023 season. A compendium from several sources Aug 1 Johan Oviedo allowed one run over seven innings and picked up his fifth win of the season Tuesday. Oviedo (5-11) earned the win Tuesday, allowing a run on six hits and two walks over seven innings against the Tigers. He struck out five. Oviedo's now won back-to-back starts, allowing just two runs over 13 innings, after going 0-8 with a 4.83 ERA in his previous 11 outings. Oviedo’s velocity was down slightly in this start but it did not matter. He allowed two bases on balls while scattering six hits. The only damage on Oviedo’s ledger came in the seventh inning. He allowed a lead-off single to Javier Báez before Akil Baddoo smacked a single into left field, allowing Báez to scamper home. The 25-year-old right-hander now sports a 4.42 ERA with a 1.34 WHIP and 111:51 K:BB across 22 starts (124.1 innings) this season. Oviedo's currently projected to face the Brewers this weekend in his next outing. Randy Arozarena went 1-for-3 with a two-run homer as the Rays defeated the Yankees Tuesday night. It was Arozarena’s 18th long ball of the season. The All-Star outfielder had been in a funk recently, slashing just 153/.223/.259 in the month of July but must have flipped a switch when he changed his calendar to August. On the season, the 28-year-old is hitting .257/.364/.440 and is easily positioning himself into a top ten-round draft pick next season. Yandy Díaz homers in win. Díaz went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Tuesday's 5-2 win over the Yankees. Díaz has just three homers in his last 47 games after hitting 12 in his first 43 contests. Still, the 31-year-old first baseman has been productive with the bat, going 22-for-63 (.349) over his last 16 games. Diaz is now slashing .317/.402/.509 with 63 runs scored and 52 RBI across 396 plate appearances this season. Cardinals acquired INF César Prieto and LHP Drew Rom from the Orioles for RHP Jack Flaherty. Prieto signed with the Orioles as an amateur free agent out of Cuba in January of 2022. The 24-year-old infielder has been terrific in 364 plate appearances between Double-A Bowie and Triple-A Norfolk this season — slashing .349/.393/.475 with six homers, 49 RBI and seven stolen bases. With Paul DeJong shipped out of town and Brendan Donovan facing season-ending surgery, perhaps Prieto gets an opportunity with the Cardinals sooner rather than later. Aroldis Chapman holds lead. Chapman allowed one hit and struck out three over one inning in to earn a hold in Tuesday's 2-0 win over the White Sox. Chapman made his first appearance in eight days, showing no rust in a 15-pitch (11 strikes) outing. The left-hander blew up in his previous appearance, giving up three runs and walking two in a loss to the Astros, but that's been the lone blemish since joining the Rangers in late June. Chapman has allowed five hits and two walks while striking out 17 over nine innings in a Texas uniform. Adolis García blasts 26th homer. García went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Tuesday's 2-0 victory over the White Sox. García destroyed a seventh inning offering from Declan Cronin, sending it 418 feet to left field and extending the Texas lead. Since returning from a minor hand injury, the dynamic 30-year-old has hit safely in six consecutive contests, going 6-for-24 with two homers, five RBI and one steal during that stretch. Dairon Blanco adds another steal. Blanco went 0-for-2 with a stolen base and a run scored in Tuesday's 7-6 extra-inning win over the Mets. Blanco is just 2-for-11 over his last seven games, but he's picked up two steals in that span and now has nine thefts this year. The outfielder still doesn't have an everyday path to playing time, as the Royals' outfield went mainly untouched during their sell-off at the trade deadline. Blanco has a .231/.286/.415 slash line with seven RBI, eight runs scored, six doubles and three triples through 70 plate appearances over 30 games. Yordan Álvarez was absent from the Astros’ starting lineup for Tuesday night’s battle against the Guardians. The 26-year-old slugger crushed a three-run homer in Monday’s game, but he took a seat on Tuesday as the Astros are cautiously easing him back into full-time action. Álvarez started all five games since being activated from the injured list last Wednesday, going 7-for-18 with a double, two homers, four RBI and five runs over that span. Yainer Díaz served as the Astros’ designated hitter on Tuesday and batted seventh against Gavin Williams and the Guardians.

Major League Baseball (MLB) and other Cuban Players News for the 2023 season. A compendium from several sources Jul 31 Yordan Álvarez goes deep in victory. Álvarez went 1-for-3 with a three-run home run and a walk in Monday's 7-3 win against Cleveland. Álvarez turned the tide of the game in sixth inning, smashing a three-run shot to right field to give Houston its first lead. The long ball was his second in his past three games and gave him at least one hit in each of his five contests since returning from the injured list July 26. During that span, Álvarez has gone 7-for-18 with the two homers, four RBI and five runs scored. Jorge Soler went 2-for-4 and hit his first homer in 17 days Monday against the Phillies. Soler opened the scoring in the first inning Monday with a two-run, 415-foot blast off Taijuan Walker. It would prove to be all the offense Miami could muster in an eventual loss. The homer, which came after Luis Arráez singled to lead off the first, provided the Marlins’ only two runs of the game. The home run was Soler's first since July 15 and his 25th of the year. Soler entered the night batting just .198/.261/.331 over his previous 32 games. Still, he was strong enough over the first 2 1/2 months that he still has an .826 OPS for the season. Overall, he's slashing .243/.333/.493 with 57 runs scored and 56 RBI across 430 plate appearances this season. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. shows life in bat. Gurriel Jr. went 2-for-5 with a double and an RBI in Monday's 4-3 extra innings win over San Francisco. Gurriel's sixth-inning double knotted the game at 2-2, setting up the extra innings. The two hits was the most life seen in his bat in a couple of weeks. The outfielder/DH entered the contest on a 3-for-42 (.071) run over the previous 11 games. The absence of Adrián Morejón has been prolonged. After suffering a right knee strain in the second game of a doubleheader on July 15, Morejón was placed on the 15-day injured list on July 16. Morejón's injury was evaluated through imaging, and it was determined that he needed time to recover. Instead of being reinstated yesterday, he is now expected to be out until August 10. Yulieski Gurriel was out of the lineup Monday. When the Marlins faced the Phillies Monday in a battle for second place in the National League East, Gurriel was not in the lineup. The 39-year-old has played only 68 games this year, with 61 hits and 20 RBI. In 228 AB, he is slashing .268/.327/.384. Randy Arozarena slump continues. Arozarena returned to the regular lineup yesterday to face the Yankees after seeing rest in the previous game in Houston last Sunday. He went 0-for-4 with one strikeout in Tampa's 5-1 win over New York, extending his hitless streak to six games and 20 at-bats. His last hit came against the Orioles last July 22. With one RBI, three walks, and five strikeouts in his last seven games, Arozarena slashes .083/.241/.083 during that span. Yennier Cano has reached 25 holds. Yennier Cano looked vulnerable yesterday during a 4-2 victory against the Blue Jays. Cano allowed a Whit Merrifield home run off his slider to bring the Blue Jays within two runs in the eighth inning. Cano got one out, but then issued back-to-back walks and could get no further. Even so, Cano scored his #25 hold of the season, but saw his ERA rise to 1.93 for the year. Daysbel Hernández struggles again. For the second time in four appearances since his promotion to the Majors, Hernández did not look good. In a 4-1 loss to Los Angeles, Daysbel gave up a run in the ninth inning to extend Los Angeles' lead to three runs. He allowed an earned run with two hits, along with a walk, which brought his ERA to 7.36 during his short time in the Majors. To be honest, Daysbel has the tools to become a nasty reliever, but he needs consistency to be able to pitch at MLB level. Abreu went hitless on Monday. In Houston's 7-3 win over Cleveland, Abreu went hitless. Following the return of Yordan Alvarez, Abreu was shifted to the sixth spot in the lineup and went 0 for 3 with a walk. As a result of an inconsistent season, Abreu is slashing .243/.298/.359 with 10 home runs and 56 RBIs for the Astros.