Major League Baseball (MLB) and other Cuban Players News for the 2023 season. A compendium from several sources Jun 1 Lourdes Gurriel Jr. scalded a two-run double on Thursday in the Diamondbacks' comeback win over the Rockies. Gurriel went 1-for-4 with a double and two RBI in Thursday's 5-4 win over Colorado. Gurriel Jr. has proven beyond a reasonable doubt that last year's prolonged struggles with the Blue Jays were the result of playing through injury since he's slashing a stellar .309/.357/.564 with 30 runs scored, nine homers, 33 RBI and one stolen base across 210 plate appearances over 51 games this season in his Arizona debut. According to MLB, in pitcher counts Gurriel is the number one hitter in slugging this year with an extraordinary .490. Astros' Yordan Álvarez: Hitless on Thursday. Álvarez went 0-for-3 in Thursday's 5-2 win over the Angels. Álvarez walked and struck out once during the game. He'd gone 3-for-24 with 2 solo-homers, five walks and 8 strikeouts over his last seven games. Álvarez is up to 14 long balls, 48 RBI, 35 runs scored and a .274/.389/.570 slash line through 50 contests. Astros' José Abreu: Two RBI in win. Abreu went 1-for-3 with a double in Thursday's 5-2 win over the Angels. Abreu walked and also had two RBI. He hit just .213 (16-for-89) in May and has same .213 on the season with only a homer, 22 RBI, 15 runs scored and eight doubles across 229 plate appearances. He'll have a lot of catching up to do if he's going to get back to his established power production in 2023, and at 36 years old, it's not guaranteed he'll do it. It was a hitless Thursday for Yuli Gurriel. Gurriel was in the Miami lineup for a third consecutive day, but went hitless in a 10-1 loss to the Padres. On Thursday, Gurriel was 0-for-4 with a strikeout, leaving his slash line at .273/.340/.406 with 3 home runs, 12 RBI and 13 walks. Despite his 39 years, the infielder might need more playing time. José Barrero: No hits on Thursday. During Thursday's 8-2 loss to the Red Sox, Barrero went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts. As an outfielder this season, the former shortstop continues to struggle at the plate. In 41 games this year, he has struck out 42 times, but with just two home runs, he has nothing to trade. The off-speed pitches that Barrero has struggled with since 2022 have already resulted in 30 strikeouts this year. Considering his age and lack of discipline in the batter's box, the Cuban should be sent to the minors to improve.

Major League Baseball (MLB) and other Cuban Players News for the 2023 season. A compendium from several sources May 31 Rangers' Adolis García: Four hits, steal in victory. García went 4-for-5 with three runs scored and a steal in Tuesday's win over the Tigers. García had cooled off a bit recently, going 5-for-31 with a .461 OPS over his last eight games. He got back on track Tuesday, picking up four base hits while stealing his first base since May 10. The 30-year-old García is slashing .257/.320/.505 with 14 home runs, 49 RBI, 45 runs scored and four stolen bases across 228 plate appearances this season. Marlins' Yuli Gurriel: Swipes third bag. Gurriel went 0-for-3 with two walks and a steal in Tuesday's loss to the Padres. Gurriel is now 3-for-3 on stolen base attempts this season after swiping eight bags with Houston last year. While the 39-year-old shouldn't be counted on as a steady source of speed, he's been productive at the plate, going 13-for-30 over his last eight games to boost his slash line to .289/.353/.430 with three home runs and 12 RBI through 136 plate appearances this season. The veteran infielder has gotten the majority of the starts at first base recently, with Garrett Cooper serving as DH, though Jesús Sánchez's return from the IL could cut into Gurriel's playing time. Raisel Iglesias fired a perfect ninth inning on Wednesday against the Athletics to record his fifth save of the season. Iglesias picked up the save in Wednesday's 4-2 victory over Oakland, tossing a perfect ninth in which he recorded one strikeout. Iglesias was summoned to guard a two-run lead in the final frame and needed just six pitches to silence the Athletics. It was a nice bounce-back effort following some serious control issues during Tuesday's appearance against Oakland. He got Ramón Laureano to ground out before coaxing fly outs from JJ Bleday and Seth Brown to end the contest. The 33-year-old righty hasn't allowed an earned run in seven consecutive appearances since May 14. Yoán Moncada is still troubled by the sore back that put him on the IL, according to manager Pedro Grifol. “He loves to play the game. He’s not afraid to play hurt. He’s not afraid to play with pain,” Grifol said. “I’m proud of him for doing that, giving us everything he’s got every day.” It's hard to believe that a banged up Moncada is a better option at third than Jake Burger, who is on the bench for the second time in three days, but this is the White Sox way. Padres re-signed SS José Iglesias to a minor league contract. Iglesias and the Padres were able to work out a new minor league pact after the veteran shortstop opted out of his previous deal last week. The 33-year-old middle infielder has yet to appear in the majors this season and represents quality organizational depth for San Diego.

The Cuban National Baseball Commissioner made this clear on Monday In the Cuban National Baseball Series, the country is willing to accept all players. In the weekly press conference the National Commission holds every Monday, Juan Reynaldo Pérez Pardo was asked Monday whether player Yasmani Tomás should be included with the Industriales team this season. Pérez Pardo, Cuban Baseball Commissioner, responded that "those who have this aspiration and reside outside the country must undergo a repatriation process according to the regulations of that tournament". He indicated, however, that the entity he directs is evaluating whether it can modify what is regulated, in accordance with its powers. It is not just for Tomás, "because today it is him, but tomorrow it could be anyone who wants to do it and has no interest in repatriating" he added. A new situation has arisen for the Cuban National Baseball Commission, the rector of the National Series or Serie Nacional, because several players have returned, repatriated, and joined different teams in the national tournament, and some have even made the Cuban national team. There is no difference in the line for Yasmani Tomás or any other athlete. Tomás is interested, by the way, in wearing the national team uniform at the next Central American and Caribbean Games, according to Pérez Pardo. Also according to the National Commissioner, the goal is to find the legal path that eliminates obstacles or provisions, allowing these athletes to participate in the Cuban tournaments. Without a doubt, it was a necessary step. Eventually, this path might even lead to a player of another nationality competing in the National Series or Elite League. However, in his statement, Pérez Pardo made it clear that only players who have been penalized for serious indiscipline, such as abandoning their teams during international competitions or during the Cuban season without authorization, are ineligible.

Major League Baseball (MLB) and other Cuban Players News for the 2023 season. A compendium from several sources May 25 Yennier Cano gave up a run, but he protected a three-run lead in the ninth against the Yankees for his fourth save. Cano earned a save against the Yankees on Thursday, allowing one run on one hit and one walk while striking out one batter over one inning. Felix Bautista was presumably unavailable after pitching each of the previous two days, so Cano was called upon to close out the contest with Baltimore up 3-0 in the ninth. The right-hander uncharacteristically allowed a run to score but nonetheless managed to finish off the win. Cano allowed his first walk of the season to Aaron Judge, and a Willie Calhoun drive to center field did mean he gave up his second earned run to date, so this was one of the few times he's looked mortal in what has been a dominant effort thus far. Bautista has been outstanding as well as the Orioles' closer, thus Cano's save chances will likely continue to be limited to instances when Bautista is unavailable. Cano now has a 0.68 ERA and 29 strikeouts in 26 2/3 IP with an 0.45 WHIP. He looks every bit like a star right now. Randy Arozarena went 2-for-3 with a pair of RBI and also stole a base on Thursday, leading the Rays to a 6-3 victory over the Blue Jays. The Rays jumped all over righty Alek Manoah, scoring five runs over the first three frames. Arozarena opened the scoring Thursday with a first-inning RBI single before extending the Rays' lead to 6-1 with his second base hit in the seventh. Arozarena had cooled off a bit coming into the contest, going 6-for-31 in his previous 10 games. The 28-year-old outfielder is still slashing an outstanding .311/.415/.959 with 11 homers, 39 RBI and six steals through 217 plate appearances this season. Raisel Iglesias pitched a 1-2-3 inning against the Phillies on Thursday for his fourth save of the season. Iglesias earned a save against the Phillies on Thursday, striking out one batter in a perfect inning. Iglesias got the ball with Atlanta holding a three-run ninth-inning lead, and he needed just eight pitches -- seven of which were strikes -- to retire the side in order. This was the fifth straight scoreless appearances for the veteran, and he's allowed just one hit and one walk while striking out six batters over five innings during that stretch. Iglesias still has a subpar 4.32 ERA on the season as a result of a pair of poor outings in the middle of the month, with a 1.08 WHIP. Jorge Soler went 3-for-5 with a two-run homer on Thursday in the Marlins' loss to the Rockies. Soler capped off a sublime three-hit performance with a ninth-inning blast to straightaway center field off Rockies closer Pierce Johnson. It was his 15th round-tripper of the season and 10th time he's gone deep in his last 22 games since May 1. He's left the yard in four of his last five contests. The three-hit performance was Soler's fourth multi-hit effort in his last five games -- he's gone 11-for-23 with four homers and eight RBI in that span. With his recent torrid stretch, Soler is slashing .261/.337/.560 with 32 RBI and 29 runs scored through 205 plate appearances this season. Aledmys Díaz: On bench Thursday. Díaz was absent from the lineup Thursday at Seattle. Díaz went 2-for-4 with a double Wednesday, and while he holds a paltry .189/.244/.243 slash line on the season, he is batting .308 (8-for-26) in eight games since returning from a hamstring injury. With Jordan Díaz back in Triple-A, the 32-year-old Díaz appears to be on the short side of a platoon at second base with Tony Kemp. Yuli Gurriel collects two hits including another triple. Gurriel went 2-for-4 with a doble, a triple, an RBI, a run scored and a walk in Thursday's 7-6 loss to the Rockies. Gurriel delivered a one-out triple in the third inning to drive home the Marlins' first run of the game. He had a walk in the seventh and a double in the ninth inning. Gurriel has ten hits in the last four games, including two triples. With Thursday's triple Gurriel became the oldest player (38 and 350 days) to triple in consecutive games since Kenny Lofton did it for Cleveland on Sep 27-28, 2007. Gurriel's offensive line in 29 games this year is .299/.342/.458, while in his last seven games he has hit .440/.483/.640 with 4 RBI. Luis Robert Jr. returned to the starting lineup Thursday against the Tigers. Robert didn't play on Wednesday after leaving Tuesday's game with right hip tightness, but fortunately he only ended up missing one day. He was 0-for-4 in the game Thursday with two strikeouts. The 25-year-old outfielder has been lighting it up so far in May with a 1.143 OPS and can hopefully continue his torrid attack in June. Yasmani Grandal remains out of the White Sox' lineup on Thursday for the second straight game. Grandal has been dealing with a lingering hamstring issue for a couple weeks, so it doesn't come as a surprise that the White Sox are giving him a couple extra days off at the moment. It'll be Seby Zavala handling the catching duties on Thursday night against the Tigers. Yandy Díaz has returned from tending to a family matter, but remained out of the Rays' lineup for Thursday's game against the Blue Jays. Díaz missed a pair of games due to a family matter, but returned to Tampa Bay's clubhouse for Thursday's series finale against Toronto. He didn't end up making an appearance off the bench on Thursday afternoon, but there's a strong possibility he's back in the starting lineup for Friday's series opener against the Dodgers.

Major League Baseball (MLB) and other Cuban Players News for the 2023 season. A compendium from several sources May 24 Néstor Cortés was charged with four runs over six innings on Wednesday in a no-decision against the Orioles. Cortés didn't factor into the decision in Wednesday's 9-6 loss to the Orioles, giving up four runs on five hits and two walks over six-plus innings. He struck out five. The southpaw held Baltimore mostly in check through six innings, allowing only a Ryan Mountcastle solo shot and getting handed a 5-1 lead, but Cortés faded fast in the seventh, walking Anthony Santander and giving up a single to Austin Hays before Adam Frazier tagged him for a three-run homer. He still exited the game in line for the win, but Jimmy Cordero was even more ineffective after replacing him. Cordero has allowed at least four runs in three of his last five starts and has now served up 10 homers in 54.1 innings on the year, leaving him with a 5.30 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and 53:16 K:BB. He'll try to bounce back in his next outing, which is likely to come early next week in Seattle. Yuli Gurriel went 4-for-4 with a triple, two runs scored, and an RBI to lead the Marlins to a 10-2 victory over the Rockies on Wednesday. Gurriel went 4-for-4 with a triple, an RBI, two runs scored and a steal in Wednesday's 10-2 win over the Rockies. Gurriel delivered a two-out single in the fourth to drive home the Marlins' first run of the game. He followed that with a triple in the sixth inning. Gurriel has eight hits in the last three games, however just one of them has gone for extra bases. Gurriel's power disappeared last season and hasn't returned in 2023. However, his average is creeping back up and sits at .291. Gurriel also picked up his second steal of the season thanks to a rundown gone wrong for the Rockies. The 38-year-old first baseman raised his season slash line to .291/.330/.427 with three homers across 112 plate appearances. Jorge Soler mashes 14th homer. Soler went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and two total runs scored in Wednesday's 10-2 win over the Rockies. Soler had a hard-hit ball that stayed in the park in the first inning, then knocked a single before scoring in the fifth. He made sure his next one got out, blasting a fastball 445 feet in the seventh inning to give him three homers in the last four games. The 31-year-old is tied for third in the big leagues in homers with 14. Soler already has more home runs than he did in 72 games last season and could top 40 homers for the second time in his career. May has treated Soler well, as he has a .631 slugging percentage this month and is up to an .872 OPS for the season. The 31-year-old slugger is enjoying a nice bounce-back season with a .251/.330/.542 slash line and 30 RBI across 200 plate appearances. Johan Oviedo allowed three runs in 5 2/3 innings Wednesday in a loss to the Rangers. Oviedo (3-4) took the loss Wednesday, allowing three runs on six hits and two walks over 5.2 innings against the Rangers. He struck out five. Three of Oviedo's five strikeouts came in an immaculate fourth inning. However, it wasn't enough to recover from a three-run opening frame as the Pirates fell 3-2. Oviedo had been solid in his previous two outings, allowing just two runs over 11 innings. His ERA now sits at 4.70 with a 1.53 WHIP and 48:25 K:BB through 10 starts (53.2 innings) this season. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. was not in the Diamondbacks' lineup for Wednesday's series finale against the Phillies. Gurriel Jr. has been one of the hottest hitters in baseball this month, with the exception of Christopher Morel and Mickey Moniak at the moment, slashing .382 (26-for-68) with seven homers and 14 RBI across 18 games since May 1. As of Wednesday, he has hit in 13 straight games, and he is expected to continue his torrid season Friday against the Boston Red Sox. White Sox's Yasmani Grandal: Resting Wednesday. Grandal was out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Guardians. Grandal got a breather for a day game Wednesday after he started behind the plate in each of the White Sox's previous three contests. Adrián Morejón (elbow) recorded one out Tuesday in a minor league rehab start for Single-A Lake Elsinore. Morejón walked a pair of batters and only recorded one out on Tuesday in his first rehab start in the lower minors. The 24-year-old southpaw is going to require several weeks to build up his pitch count and stamina. He's been on the shelf since spring training due to a left elbow sprain. White Sox manager Pedro Grifol told reporters he expects Luis Robert Jr. back in the lineup on Thursday. Robert, hip injury, said he fully expects to return to the lineup Thursday in Detroit. Robert sat out of Chicago's shutout win over the Guardians on Wednesday after tweaking his right hip Tuesday, but he has described the injury as a cramp and experienced no issues during a pregame workout. The 25-year-old outfielder has been red hot in May and has pushed his season-long OPS up from .662 to .886 in the process. Rays manager Kevin Cash said Wednesday that Yandy Díaz is away from the team due to a family matter. No word yet on exactly how long Díaz will be away, but it's worth noting that the club hasn't made an official roster move. The 31-year-old on-base machine is absent from the Rays' lineup on Wednesday evening for the second straight game. The Rays aren't expected to place Díaz on the restricted list or bereavement list, so he should be considered day-to-day heading into Thursday's series finale with Toronto.

Major League Baseball (MLB) and other Cuban Players News for the 2023 season. A compendium from several sources May 23 Aroldis Chapman tossed a hitless ninth with a three-run lead for a save Tuesday against the Tigers. Chapman picked up the save Tuesday against Detroit. He allowed one walk while striking out two over a scoreless inning. It was Chapman's 317th career save in the majors. After blowing each of his last two save opportunities, Chapman bounced back with a hitless ninth to secure his second save of the season. Chapman has allowed just one hit and no runs in his last five appearances (5.0 innings) while striking out 10 batters and was given the save chance Tuesday with Scott Barlow getting the night off after tossing 1.2 innings Monday. Though Chapman has yet to allow a home run through 18.2 innings, he has a tendency to get himself into trouble by handing out walks (5.78 BB/9). However, according to Codify, Chapman has thrown all 25 fastest in-zone pitches this season by left-handed MLB pitchers. Marlins' Yuli Gurriel: Racks up three hits in loss. Gurriel went 3-for-4 in Tuesday's 5-4 loss to the Rockies. Gurriel has seen limited playing time since Garrett Cooper returned from an inner ear infection May 14. Over three games since that date, Gurriel has gone 4-for-10 with one RBI. It appears he'll remain in a reserve role as long as the Marlins' infield is healthy. For the season, the 38-year-old is slashing .263/.306/.384 with three home runs, nine RBI, eight runs scored and a stolen base through 108 plate appearances. Jorge Soler blasted his 13th home run of the season on Tuesday night, but it wasn't enough to power the Marlins to victory over the Rockies in Colorado. Soler opened the scoring in the ballgame with a gargantuan 456-foot (107.7 mph EV) off of Austin Gomber in the first inning. He also added an RBI double in the ninth that pulled the Marlins within a run, finishing the night 2-for-5. For the season, the 31-year-old slugger is now hitting .246/.323/.526 with the aforementioned 13 long balls, 10 doubles, 25 runs scored and 29 RBI in 47 games. Eight of those 13 home runs have come in Soler's last 18 ballgames. Yasmani Grandal went 1-for-3 with a home run in Chicago's 4-2 win over the Guardians on Tuesday. Grandal cranked a no-doubter to left on a four-seamer by Logan Allen. He would bring in another RBI on an error by José Ramírez, but was then removed for a pinch-runner, who of course scored a run in Grandal's stead in a big inning. Grandal has had a middling 2023 season, hitting .279/.347/.434 while healthy. He's still a fine AL-only starter or a good second catcher in start-two leagues. Yennier Cano pitched two scoreless innings. On Tuesday, Cano recorded his tenth hold of the season in a 6-5 loss to the Yankees in extra innings. After being called in the seventh inning, the 29-year-old pitched two scoreless innings while allowing three hits but striking out two. He now has a 0.39 WHIP and 28:0 K:BB over 25.2 innings. One of the most interesting and surprising relievers this season is the Cuban righthander, who has allowed just one earned run so far. Luis Robert Jr. was removed from Tuesday night's battle against the Guardians due to right hip tightness. Robert left Tuesday's game against the Guardians with right hip tightness. He went 2-for-4 before exiting. Robert stumbled while fielding a ball in the eighth inning, and he was unable to continue against the Guardians. Robert should be considered day-to-day, but the White Sox will likely have the 25-year-old undergo testing to determine the severity of the injury. Dodgers' Miguel Vargas: Out of the lineup Tuesday. Vargas wasn't in the Dodgers' lineup for Tuesday's game against Atlanta. Vargas is slashing .250/.308/.333 over the past week and got a breather Tuesday against Spencer Strider. Mookie Betts started at second base Tuesday, and Jason Heyward started in right field while batting sixth. Padres' Adrian Morejón: Started rehab assignment Tuesday. Morejón (elbow) began a rehab assignment with Low-A Lake Elsinore on Tuesday. Morejón is expected to work in two-to-three inning stints as he works his way back from the elbow inflammation that has sidelined him for all of 2023. The left-hander is eligible to come off the 60-day injured list May 31, and the Padres could either stretch the left-hander out as a starter or use him as a multi-inning reliever around the start of June. To be honest, Morejón is expected to be out until at least Jun 2. Luis M. Romero released by Oakland. Las Vegas Aviators released RHP Miguel Romero. On Tuesday, the Las Vegas Aviators released RHP Miguel Romero after activating him on May 4.In 14 games with the AAA Aviators, he was 0-1 with a 6.60 ERA and a 12:13 K:BB ratio. He has pitched 176 games for the Mesa Solar Sox, Athletics, Beloit Snappers, Stockton Ports, Midland RockHounds, and Las Vegas Aviators with a 15-12 record, 19 saves, and a 5.48 ERA. Rays' Yandy Díaz: Not in Tuesday's lineup. Díaz was absent from the Rays' lineup for Tuesday's game versus the Blue Jays. Díaz played the last three games after returning from a groin issue, but he took a seat Tuesday. Luke Raley was at first base against Jose Berrios. Tigers' Andy Ibáñez: To the bench on Tuesday. Ibáñez didn't start Tuesday against the Royals. An 0-for-24 stretch at the plate over Ibáñez's last six games forced him to the bench for Tuesday's contest. Nick Maton and Zach McKinstry took over at second and third base, respectively.

Major League Baseball (MLB) and other Cuban Players News for the 2023 season. A compendium from several sources May 22 Lourdes Gurriel Jr. collected four hits leading the Diamondbacks past the Phillies 6-3 on Monday. Gurriel Jr. went 4-for-4 with a home run, a double and two RBI in Monday's win over the Phillies. Gurriel opened the game's scoring with a solo shot in the second inning and later added an insurance run with his eighth-inning RBI double. He's been terrific in May, going 25-for-63 (.397) with seven homers and a 9:9 BB:K while hitting safely in 15 of 17 games. On the year, Gurriel is slashing .321/.376/.562 with 22 extra-base hits and 27 RBI through 178 plate appearances. Yordan Álvarez went 3-for-5 with two homers, including a grand slam, and a walk Monday as the Astros crushed the Brewers 12-2. Álvarez went 3-for-4 with two home runs, a walk, three total runs and five total RBI in a 12-2 win against the Brewers on Monday. Álvarez smacked a 425-foot solo shot in the fifth inning and followed that with a grand slam in the sixth. The slam off Hoby Milner was Álvarez's fourth in 51 career plate appearances with the bases loaded. He's up to 12 homers on the campaign and has knocked in 46 runs, second-most in the majors. Those marks put Álvarez on pace to easily exceed his career-best marks of 37 long balls and 104 RBI. He's batting .367 with five homers and 19 RBI in his last 16 games, taking his season OPS up to 1.015. Miguel Vargas: Hitless on Monday. In the Dodgers' 8-6 win over Atlanta, Vargas went 0-for-3.A walk and two strikeouts were Vargas's only contributions in the game. As of right now, the young infielder is batting seventh in the lineup and is keeping his bat quiet despite a .276/.323/.379 offensive line in his last seven games. Vargas' performance has been somewhat overshadowed by the outstanding performance of Dodger rookie James Outman, who has nine home runs and 28 RBI already this season. Rays' Randy Arozarena: Clubs 11th homer. Arozarena went 2-for-4 with a double (7) and a solo home run in Monday's 6-4 victory against the Blue Jays. A 391-foot solo home run to right field with an EV of 105.2 mph gave the Rays a 5-2 lead in the sixth inning. He scored twice and also had a strikeout. The 28-year-old is slashing .308/.405/.552 with 11 homers, 33 runs and 37 RBI through 47 games. Chapman's ERA decreased to 3.06 this season. Ibáñez hitless. Chapman pitched in his setup role Monday as the Royals lost 8-5 in extra innings to Detroit. A scoreless inning and two strikeouts helped Chapman lower his ERA to 3.06 this season. The Cuban reliever, who has pitched 17.2 innings with 29 strikeouts this year, made his 19th appearance. In this season's trade market, Chapman continues to be valued as a key player for the Royals. In the same Andy Ibáñez went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts, after replacing Nick Maton late in the game, dropping his average to .191. Adolis García hitless on Monday but still leads MLB in RBI. In the Rangers' 6-4 loss to the Pirates on Monday night, Adolis Garcia went 0-for-4 with a strikeout. A four-year veteran of the Rangers, Adolis is batting .250/.320/.529 with 14 homeruns and 49 RBI, which lead all MLB. Luis Robert, Yoán Moncada and Yasmani Grandal: Combined for one hit Monday. A trio of Cubans for the White Sox combined for only one hit in a 3-0 loss to Cleveland. Luis Robert was the only one to produce a hit, but he also struck out twice. During the game, Moncada and Grandal each went 0-for-3 with one strikeout. Luis Robert is slashing .268/.325/.559 with 13 homeruns and 29 RBI this year while Moncada offensive line is .301/.346/.479 with 2 HR and 9 RBI in only 19 games. Grandal, a veteran of 12 seasons, is hitting .278/.347/.414 with 3 homers and 11 RBI in 40 games this season. Injuries have plagued Moncada and Grandal at the beginning of the season.

Major League Baseball (MLB) and other Cuban Players News for the 2023 season. A compendium from several sources May 21 Jorge Soler went 4-for-5 with a homer and three RBI on Sunday afternoon, but it wasn't enough to propel the Marlins to victory over the Giants in San Francisco. Soler opened the scoring in the top half of the first inning when he crushed a 436-foot (113.9 mph EV) solo shot off of Alex Wood. He added an RBI single in the third -- then another in the fifth that tied the game at 4-4. He had gone just 3-for-22 (.136) across his previous six games, though two of those hits were homers. The 31-year-old is up to a .247/.324/.518 slash line with 12 homers, 27 RBI, 24 runs scored and nine doubles through 45 contests this season. He needs just one more long ball to match his total from 2022. Raisel Iglesias spun a perfect ninth inning on Sunday against the Mariners to record his third save of the season. Iglesias got the call to protect a one-run lead and needed just 13 pitches (nine strikes) to slam the door. He got Julio Rodriguez to ground out to open the frame before striking out Jarred Kelenic on four pitches and fanning Eugenio Suárez to end the contest. The 33-year-old righty has looked sharp in his last couple appearances and has converted three of his four save opportunities since returning from the injured list. The veteran missed the first month of the season with a shoulder strain, but he appears to be finding his groove and should continue to see plenty of save opportunities in his first full campaign with Atlanta. White Sox's Luis Robert: Matches career-best homer total. Robert went 1-for-3 with a solo home run and a walk Sunday against the Royals. Robert took Max Castillo yard in the fourth inning to tally his 13th home run of the season. That matches his highest mark in a campaign, and it comes after just 190 plate appearances. Robert has been on a tear since the calendar has flipped to May, as he's smacked eight home runs, driven in 16 and scored 20 runs all while hitting .358. Rays' Randy Arozarena: Swipes fifth bag. Arozarena went 0-for-3 with a walk, two runs scored and a stolen base Sunday against the Brewers. Arozarena went hitless for his third consecutive game, though he still managed to provide fantasy value. He was hit by a pitch in the eighth inning and then stole second base -- his fifth of the season and second in his last five starts. Arozarena continues to provide a well-rounded stat line, as he has 10 home runs, 31 runs scored and 36 RBI while also hitting .304 across 201 plate appearances on the season. Astros' Jose Abreu: Walks twice in win. Abreu went 0-for-2 in Sunday's win over the Athletics. Abreu took advantage of a wild Athletics pitching staff that gave up eight walks in total, taking two free passes himself in four at-bats. After hitting 25 or more home runs in six of his first eight MLB seasons, Abreu has struggled to replicate those power numbers in 2022 and 2023, notching just 15 long balls in 157 games last season and remaining homerless through 44 games in 2023. Though the 36-year-old's best days appear to be behind him, his role as an everyday player in the heart of an extremely talented lineup keeps him relevant, especially with Jose Altuve back in action for Houston. Yasmani Grandal went 0-for-4 with a strikeout on Sunday in his return to the White Sox' lineup. Grandal was back behind the plate Sunday afternoon following a three-game absence due to an ongoing right hamstring issue that's been bothering him for a couple weeks. The good news is that he's managed to avoid landing on the injured list, but it's possible the White Sox will continue to give him a couple days off this week so that it doesn't become a larger issue.

Major League Baseball (MLB) and other Cuban Players News for the 2023 season. A compendium from several sources May 20 Yordan Álvarez delivered a go-ahead homer in the bottom of the eighth to lead the Astros to a 3-2 win over the Mariners on Saturday. Álvarez went 1-for-3 with a solo home run and an additional RBI in Saturday's 3-2 win against Oakland. He also had a sac fly in the first. Álvarez's homer was his 10th, and he's up to 41 RBI, even though he's getting fewer opportunities than many of the league's elite power hitters. He has a crazy .455/.500/.970 line in 40 PA with RISP. Overall Álvarez has added a .292/.385/.569 slash line through 169 plate appearances. Yandy Díaz went 3-for-4 and hit a three-run homer Saturday as the Rays topped the Brewers 8-4. A four-game absence due to groin tightness obviously didn't cool Díaz's bat at all. With 11 homers in 40 games, he's just three away from matching his career high of 14. After missing four games with a left groin injury, Díaz rejoined the Tampa Bay lineup and recorded a pair of singles to pair with a three-run homer that plated Taylor Walls and Manuel Margot. The first baseman extended his hit streak to 13 games and has swatted four home runs in that stretch. In 40 games this season, Díaz is slashing .333/.436/.618 with 34 runs scored and 27 RBI. His 1.054 OPS leads the majors. José Abreu went 0-for-4 and struck out twice against the A's on Saturday. Abreu is still always hitting either fourth or fifth for the Astros, even though he's batting .218 with no homers this season. He's hitting even worse this month (.182/.286/.236) than he did in April, and there just isn't anything in the numbers that suggests a turnaround is forthcoming. Jorge Soler: One hit on Saturday. Soler went 1-for-4 with two strikeouts on Saturday 1-0 victory against the Giants. After hitting homeruns in consecutive games in May 16 and 17, Soler has cool down and is slashing just .192/.300/.423 in his last seven games with 9 strikeouts. José Barrero: Second game in center field. Barrero played his second MLB game in center field Saturday against the Yankees, and went 1-for-3 with a run scored and two strikeouts. The Reds lost 7-4 to the Yankees and Barrero was replaced late in the game by Stuart Fairchild. Barrero's struggles with contact continue, and at some point he may be sent down to the minors. Athletics' Aledmys Díaz: Day off Saturday. Díaz sat Saturday versus the Astros. Díaz headed to the bench after he went 2-for-4 with a strikeout in Friday's 5-1 loss. Nick Allen took over at shortstop and hit ninth against Houston. White Sox's Yasmani Grandal: Remains out of lineup. Grandal (hamstring) was not in the starting lineup Saturday versus Kansas City. As expected, Grandal remained on the bench Saturday as he tends to his ailing hamstring.

Major League Baseball (MLB) and other Cuban Players News for the 2023 season. A compendium from several sources May 20 Yasmani Grandal (hamstring) remains out of the White Sox' lineup for Saturday's game against the Royals. No surprise here as Grandal has been dealing with right hamstring tightness for a couple weeks at this point. It's clear that the White Sox don't want to lose his bat for an extended period, so he'll likely avoid a trip to the injured list, but it'll be Seby Zavala handling the catching duties for at least a couple more days. May 19 Johan Oviedo tossed six innings of one-run ball Friday versus the Diamondbacks. Oviedo (3-3) earned the win Friday, allowing one run on two hits and three walks over six innings in a 13-3 victory over Arizona. He struck out seven. The Diamondbacks' offense was no match for the 25-year-old on Friday. The righty generated seven swinging strikes over 96 pitches with a 30 percent CSW. Oviedo has allowed just one run in each of his past two starts (11 innings) after surrendering 17 across his previous three outings. Friday's performance was the right-hander's fourth quality start of the year, and his seven strikeouts were his most since posting a season-high 10 against the Cardinals on April 14. While Oviedo has been able to limit damage recently, he is still struggling with his control and has issued multiple free passes in all but two of his nine starts this season. He'll carry a 4.69 ERA terrifying home matchup on Wednesday against the Rangers. Raisel Iglesias worked a scoreless ninth with a four-run lead against the Mariners on Friday. Fortunately, that two-mph velocity dip on Sunday has proved to be an aberration, as he's been right back at 95 mph on average with his fastball in two appearances since. He pitched a clean inning tonight, striking out Eugenio Suárez to end the game. Rangers' Adolis García: Binging on homers. García went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run and an additional run scored in Friday's 7-2 win over Colorado. García's fourth-inning blast off Karl Kauffmann gave the Rangers a lead they never relinquished. The slugging outfielder is on a tear with five home runs (11 RBI) over the last five games, giving him 14 for the season, which ranks third in MLB behind Pete Alonso and Max Muncy. Yennier Cano finally gave up his first run Friday against the Blue Jays. A Kevin Kiermaier single, a George Springer double and a Bo Bichette grounder accounted for the first run allowed by Cano in 22 2/3 innings this season. Fortunately, it didn't hurt much in a 6-2 win for Baltimore. Cano had given up just four hits and posted a 25/0 K/BB ratio coming into this one. Cano is through 22.2 IP, bringing his ERA up to 0.40 and his WHIP up to 0.27. Reds' José Barrero: Got start in center field. Barrero started in center field and batted ninth for the Reds on Friday against the Yankees. It was the first start in center field this month for Barrero, who has ceded his shortstop job to Matt McLain. It did not get better at bat for Barrero, who went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts against the Yankees. Barrero sports just a .634 OPS on the season, although he did reach base four times in his previous start. Luis Robert Jr. went 0-for-4 in Friday night's victory over the Royals, but he did manage to reach on a fielder's choice and swipe his second base of the season. Robert went 0-for-4 with a stolen base in Friday's 2-0 win over the Royals. The 25-year-old superstar struck out twice against Zack Greinke early in the ballgame, so he definitely wanted to make something happen after reaching on a fielder's choice in the sixth inning. He swiped second base and advanced to third on a fly ball, but the White Sox were unable to cash him in. On the season, he's now slashing .266/.322/.550 with 12 home runs, two steals, 28 RBI, 31 runs scored and 12 doubles through 45 games this season. Rays' Yandy Díaz: Out of lineup again. Díaz (groin) remained out of the Rays' lineup for Friday's game versus the Brewers. It was the fourth straight game Díaz has missed due to a left groin injury. Tampa Bay has been reluctant to place him on the injured list, but he'll need to show improvement soon to avoid it.

Major League Baseball (MLB) and other Cuban Players News for the 2023 season. A compendium from several sources May 18 Néstor Cortés gave up two runs over six innings on Thursday in a win over the Blue Jays. Cortes (4-2) earned the win Thursday, allowing two runs on five hits and one walk over six innings against the Blue Jays. He struck out six. Cortés surrendered a solo homer to Bo Bichette in the opening frame, but managed to keep Toronto's lineup off the scoreboard until the late innings. The 28-year-old lefty was lifted from the contest after issuing a leadoff walk to Whit Merrifield in the seventh inning. He finished with six strikeouts and only handed out one free pass. After consecutive seasons with an ERA under 3.00, Cortés is sporting a 5.21 ERA in 2023. He'll carry a 1.28 WHIP and 48/14 K/BB ratio across 48 1/3 innings (nine starts) into a home outing Wednesday against the Orioles. Luis Robert Jr. went 2-for-4 with a double on Thursday in the White Sox' loss to the Guardians. There wasn't a ton of offense in this one for Chicago as they generated just one run on eight hits against rookie left-hander Logan Allen and a trio of relievers. Robert Jr. has been sizzling-hot at the plate over the last few weeks, batting .386 (22-for-57) with seven homers and 15 RBI across 16 games since May 1. Cionel Pérez: Scoreless on Thursday. Pérez threw one scoreless inning in Thursday's 6-5 loss to the Angels. Cionel needed 13 pitches - 9 strikes - during his outing. He has pitched 5 2/3 innings without allowing an earned run. He's bounced back from some rough outings to get his ERA down to 3.57 with a 1.81 WHIP and a 14:9 K:BB ratio in 20 appearances (17.2 innings) this season. The left-hander's recent work should keep him in place as the primary middle reliever especially against lefty hitters. Miguel Vargas has two hits in a lopsided loss against the Cardinals. Vargas went 2-for-5 with a run scored in Thursday's 16-8 loss to the Cardinals. As a rookie, he has slashed .234/.342/.423 with four home runs and 22 RBI. Yasmani Grandal went 1-for-4 on Thursday in his return to the White Sox' lineup. Grandal was back at designated hitter on Thursday afternoon with Seby Zavala handling the catching duties following his early exit from Wednesday's game due to right hamstring tightness. The White Sox want to keep his bat in their lineup without risking his ongoing hamstring issue becoming an even larger problem, so he's unlikely to catch for at least a couple more days. Yandy Díaz (groin) remained out of the Rays' lineup against the Mets on Thursday. Díaz missed his third straight game due to left groin tightness. He's feeling better, even hitting in the batting cage on Wednesday, but his return likely won't come until today. He is still consider day-to-day. White Sox's Yoan Moncada: Did not play Thursday. Moncada was not in the White Sox' lineup for Thursday's game versus the Guardians. It was just a routine day off for Moncada. Jake Burger handled third base.

Major League Baseball (MLB) and other Cuban Players News for the 2023 season. A compendium from several sources May 17 Adolis García crushed a pair of solo homers on Wednesday in the Rangers' loss to the Braves. García went 2-for-4 with two solo home runs in Wednesday's 6-5 loss to Atlanta. García launched two homers off Braves ace Spencer Strider, going deep in back-to-back innings to record his sixth career multi-homer performance. The 30-year-old superstar has gone deep in back-to-back contests and is batting .258/.320/.541 with 13 round-trippers across 181 plate appearances through 42 games. He leads the majors with 46 RBI while adding three stolen bases, 34 runs scored and six doubles. Raisel Iglesias tossed a perfect ninth inning on Wednesday against the Rangers to collect his second save of the season. Iglesias struck out one in a perfect inning to earn the save in Wednesday's 6-5 win over the Rangers. Iglesias was summoned to guard a one-run lead in the ninth inning following Orlando Arcia's go-ahead homer in the top of the frame and required just 16 pitches (eight strikes) to slam the door. He got Josh Smith to fly out to left field, coaxed a ground out from Leody Taveras and struck out Marcus Semien to end the contest. It was a much-needed bounce-back after allowing two runs in each of his last two appearances. The right-hander missed the first month-plus of the season with a shoulder strain, and he's had a bit of trouble settling back into the closer role. Iglesias has an 8.31 ERA while converting two of three save chances over 4.1 innings so far. Jorge Soler went 1-for-3 with a two-run homer in a 4-3 win over the Nationals on Wednesday. After hitting a walk-off, two-run home run on Tuesday, Soler was at it again on Wednesday. The Cuban slugger clobbered a 407-foot bomb with an exit velocity of 102.6 mph. Soler has gone yard in back-to-back games and has launched six of his 11 homers on the season over the last 12 contests, a stretch in which the 31-year-old is slashing .326/.404/.739 with 14 RBI. He is hitting .240/.321/.520 with 11 homers across 168 plate appearances this season. José Barrero went 2-for-3 with an RBI and two walks against the Rockies on Wednesday. Barrero was making his first appearance in four days. He'd seem to be due quite a bit less playing time with Matt McLain up, though that could change if he hits. Still, it seems at least as likely that he's going to get some additional Triple-A time in the near future. White Sox's Yoan Moncada: Adds steal Wednesday. Moncada went 1-for-4 with an RBI and a stolen base in Wednesday's 7-2 win over the Guardians. Moncada has gone 6-for-15 (.400) with three doubles and two RBI over his last four games. The steal was his first of the season, and he hasn't swiped more than three bags in any of the last four campaigns. The 27-year-old has regained a starting role at third base since returning from a back injury, and he's slashing .310/.344/.534 with two home runs, seven RBI, seven runs scored and seven doubles through 61 plate appearances this season. Andy Ibáñez made his third career start in the outfield Wednesday against the Pirates. The Tigers didn't seem too worried about having their best defensive outfield working behind Eduardo Rodriguez. They went with Eric Haase in left, Matt Vierling in center and Andy Ibáñez in right. Ibáñez has turned into one of the few fixtures in the Tigers lineup, as he's started 15 of the team's last 16 games. In the game he went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts and later in the game was moved to third base. In his last 15 games Ibáñez his slashing .271/.300/.438 with a homer and 5 RBI. Marlins' Yuli Gurriel: Got the start at first base. Gurriel started at first base and was seventh in the lineup Wednesday against the Nationals. Garrett Cooper was the designated hitter and Jorge Soler played right field to open up a spot for Gurriel. In the game Gurriel went 0-for-2 with a RBI and an strikeout. The 38-year-old is sporting a .664 OPS with three home runs in 100 plate appearances on the season. Yandy Díaz (groin) remained absent from the Rays' lineup for Wednesday's game against the Mets. The good news is that Díaz hasn't been placed on the injured list, but he missed his second straight contest Wednesday evening following an early exit from Sunday's game against the Yankees due to left groin tightness. He is still consider day-to-day moving forward. Isaac Paredes played first base in his absence. Yasmani Grandal is day-to-day with right hamstring tightness. Seby Zavala will be handling the catching duties for a couple days after Grandal re-aggravated a lingering right hamstring issue during Wednesday's lopsided win over the Guardians. During the game he went 2-for-3 with a run scored and was replaced late in the game. It doesn't sound like he's going to require a trip to the injured list, but he's going to need some time off to make sure the issue doesn't turn into anything worse. Athletics' Aledmys Díaz: On bench Wednesday. Díaz was out of the lineup Wednesday against the Diamondbacks. Díaz took a seat for the second time in three games after he went 1-for-6 with a run scored in Tuesday's 9-8 win in 12 innings. Nick Allen replaced him at shortstop in the series finale with Arizona.