Major League Baseball (MLB) and other Cuban Players News for the 2023 season. A compendium from several sources April 12 White Sox's Oscar Colás: Taking Wednesday off. Colás is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Twins. After seeing his four-game hitting streak come to an end with an 0-for-4, two-strikeout performance in Tuesday's 4-3 loss, Colás will receive a breather for the series finale. Gavin Sheets will man right field in Colás' stead. Astros' Yordan Álvarez: Takes seat for day game. Álvarez is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Pirates, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports. Houston is concluding its series in Pittsburgh with a day game after a night game, so Álvarez is most likely just getting some extra maintenance following a string of eight consecutive starts. Corey Julks will get the nod in left field in place of Álvarez, who drew a walk but also struck out a season-high three times in Tuesday's 7-4 loss. April 11 Luis Robert Jr. went 2-for-4 with a game-tying solo homer on Tuesday in the White Sox' extra-inning loss to the Twins. Robert went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and an additional run scored in Tuesday's 3-4 loss to the Twins. Robert hit his fifth home run of the season in the ninth inning, a solo shot off Griffin Jax, to tie the game 3-3. As the most consistent hitter for the White Sox, the 25-year-old outfielder is slashing .347/.347/.714 with five home runs, nine RBI and six runs through 26 at-bats. Robert's performance has contributed significantly to the offense's success, which currently ranks in the top five of the league for batting average and runs batted in. Royals' Aroldis Chapman: Clean inning on Tuesday. Chapman struck out one hitter in the ninth inning of Tuesday's 8-5 loss against Texas. Chapman breezed through the Rangers lineup and needed just 11 pitches to pick up his fifth scoreless inning. The southpaw has 9 strikeouts this year and collected his save 316 of his career in April 8 against San Francisco. Chapman is in line for saves for Kansas City in the 2023 season, but he may be moved to a different team after the first half of the season. Astros' José Abreu: Mixed start to season. Abreu went 1-for-5 with three strikeouts Tuesday against the Pirates. Abreu collected at least one hit in each of his first 10 games of the season, but he's also uncharacteristically struck out at a 27.8 percent clip early on. After Tuesday's performance, he's punched out three times in three of his last five games. He also has only one extra-base hit, which has led to an empty .280 batting average across 54 plate appearances on the campaign. Rangers' Adolis García: Swipes first bag. García went 1-for-4 with two RBI, a run scored and a stolen base in Tuesday's 8-5 extra-inning win over Kansas City. García plated a run with a sacrifice fly then another in the extra frame with a single. The stolen base was the first of the season for Garcia, who swiped 25 bags in 2022 and 16 the previous season. Rays' Yandy Díaz: Fine after shoulder scare. Went 3-for-3 Tuesday against Boston. Rays manager Kevin Cash told reporters that Díaz will play Wednesday against the Red Sox after leaving Tuesday's game with a left shoulder injury, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reported. He went 3-for-3 with a home run and two additional runs before exiting. Díaz left late in the contest after crashing hard on his left shoulder, and he was replaced by Manuel Margot. Fortunately the exit was just precautionary, and Díaz will be ready to roll for Wednesday's contest against the Red Sox. The 31-year-old has been sizzling at the plate to start the 2023 season, slashing .303/.425/.606 with three homers and seven RBI. Yoán Moncada (back) remained out of the White Sox' lineup for Tuesday's game against the Twins. Probably out until Friday. Moncada (back) is expected to remain sidelined through the end of the White Sox' series against the Twins, Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times reports. Moncada sat out Monday's contest with back tightness and it sounds like he'll be out Tuesday and Wednesday, as well. The White Sox have an off day Thursday before beginning a homestand Friday, so perhaps Moncada will be ready to play by this weekend. Hanser Alberto and Jake Burger could see time at the hot corner while Moncada is banged up. Diamondbacks' Lourdes Gurriel: Day off Tuesday. Gurriel wasn't in Arizona's lineup for Tuesday's game against the Brewers. Gurriel has gotten off to a slow start this season, slashing .205/.238/.282 through 10 games. As a result, he'll take a seat against Corbin Burnes while Evan Longoria takes over as Arizona's designated hitter, batting fourth.

Major League Baseball (MLB) and other Cuban Players News for the 2023 season. A compendium from several sources April 10 Adolis García hit his second career grand slam Monday in the rout of the Royals. García went 1-for-5 with a grand slam in Monday's 11-2 rout of the Royals. The slam came off José Cuas in a seven-run sixth inning. It was García's second homer in 43 plate appearances this season and pushed his RBI total to nine, which ranks first on the team. He's off to a slow start otherwise, having hit .225/.279/.400. García also has yet to steal a base this season, which is somewhat surprising given the new rules and the fact that he averaged 21.5 thefts between the previous two campaigns. Yuli Gurriel went 2-for-4 and crushed his first home run as a member of the Marlins in Monday night's lopsided loss to the Phillies. Gurriel finally got the Marlins on the board with a 366-foot (95.6 mph EV) solo shot off of McKinley Moore in the seventh inning, making it a 13-1 ballgame. The 38-year-old has done a nice job so far in his limited action with the Marlins, slashing .375/.412/.563 with a homer and one RBI in his first 17 plate appearances. Yordan Álvarez went 3-for-4 with a pair of RBI on Monday, propelling the Astros to an 8-2 win over the Pirates. Álvarez's torrid start to the 2023 campaign continued on Monday evening in Pittsburgh as he drilled a two-run single in the second inning off righty Roansy Contreras as part of a stellar three-hit performance. He wound up reaching base safely in four of his five plate appearances in this one. The 25-year-old superstar is batting .333 (12-for-36) with three homers and 16 RBI through 10 games. Randy Arozarena singled and swiped a base for the second consecutive game as the Rays eked out a one-run victory over the Red Sox on Monday night in Tampa Bay. Arozarena smacked a two-out single off of Nick Pivetta in the opening inning and swiped second base, but he was left stranded there. He has been sizzling at the plate to start the 2023 campaign, slashing .359/.444/.590 with two long balls, 11 RBI and a pair of stolen bases in two attempts. Luis Robert Jr. was back in the White Sox' lineup for Monday's series opener against the Twins. Robert Jr. sat out Sunday's series finale against the Pirates after making nine straight starts for Chicago to open the year. But he came back on Monday and went 0-for-4 with a strikeout in a 4-3 win against the Twins. The 25-year-old stalwart is off to a sublime start this year, batting .333 (15-for-45) with four round-trippers and 10 RBI through ten contests. White Sox' manager Pedro Grifol told reporters on Monday that third baseman Yoán Moncada is considered day-to-day due to back soreness. Moncada was held out of the White Sox' lineup on Monday due to the issue. It sounds like more of a nagging problem than anything that's going to keep him out long term, but expect that he'll see sporadic days off in an effort to keep the injury manageable. Moncada is off to a terrific start at the plate in 2023, hitting .308 (12-for-39) with two homers and five RBI through his first nine contests. Raisel Iglesias (shoulder) has resumed flat-ground throwing. Iglesias has yet to throw off a mound yet, but it's a positive sign that he's been able to resume throwing. He remains without a timetable to return. The 33-year-old righty has been on the shelf since late March due to right shoulder inflammation.

Major League Baseball (MLB) and other Cuban Players News for the 2023 season. A compendium from several sources April 7 Orioles' Cionel Pérez: Nabs win Friday. Pérez (1-0) allowed a run on three hits and struck out one over one inning to earn the win Friday over the Yankees. Pérez has had some mixed results through 4.1 innings across four appearances this season. He's struck out five without walking a batter, but he's been tagged for two runs and seven hits. Pérez has worked in a high-leverage role as expected, though he's unlikely to challenge Felix Bautista for the majority of the Orioles' save chances. José Barrero went 1-for-4 with an RBI on Friday in his return to the Reds' lineup. He was also caught stealing in this one. Barrero sat out only one game after being lifted from Monday's contest against the Cubs with right hamstring tightness. It doesn't sound like he's going to wind up missing any additional time. Oscar Colás hit his first big league homer Friday in the White Sox' loss to the Pirates. Colás went 1-for-4 with a solo home run Friday against the Pirates. The solo shot came with the White Sox down 13-8 in the ninth, so it wasn't quite the moment Colás was likely hoping for with his first MLB homer. Still, he's on the board in just his eighth game, which is pretty good. He drew a start against a left-hander for the first time today, as the White Sox reiterated yesterday that he won't be a true platoon player. The homer, though, came off right-handed reliever Wil Crowe. White Sox's Yoán Moncada: One hit in return. Moncada went 1-for-5 with a run scored Friday against the Pirates. Moncada returned from a one-game absence due to a sore foot and continued his strong start to the season. He has at least one hit in every contest that he's played and collected multiple knocks in three of seven matchups. Overall, he has 12 hits across 31 plate appearances, though he has struck out at a 32.3 percent clip. Miguel Vargas went 0-for-2 with a pair of walks on Friday in his return to the Dodgers' lineup. Vargas has walked an astounding 11 times in just six games this season. The 23-year-old second baseman wound up missing a pair of games earlier this week due to minor thumb and groin issues, but was back in there for Friday's showdown in Arizona. White Sox's Luis Robert: Goes deep twice. Robert went 3-for-5 with two home runs and five RBI in Friday's loss to Pittsburgh. The star outfielder took Rich Hill deep twice Friday, including a 413-foot shot in the third inning. Robert is up to four long balls this season with a 1.111 OPS through 37 plate appearances. All of his home runs have come during the last five games, during which he's also notched three multi-hit performances.

Major League Baseball (MLB) and other Cuban Players News for the 2023 season. A compendium from several sources April 6 Yoán Moncada is not in the White Sox starting lineup Thursday against the Giants. The hot-hitting Moncada will get his first breather of the young season. Hanser Alberto will start at third base and hit fifth. Also of note, Andrew Benintendi will slide down to the sixth spot against lefty Alex Wood. White Sox's Yasmani Grandal: Getting a day off. Grandal is not in the White Sox' lineup for Thursday's contest versus the Giants. Grandal will get some rest after catching three straight and five of the first six games this season. Seby Zavala will catch Lance Lynn. White Sox's Oscar Colás: Sitting again versus lefty. Colás is absent from the White Sox' lineup for Thursday's game against the Giants. Colas might not be in a strict platoon with Romy González, but he has been on the bench both times his team has faced a lefty in the early going. For what it's worth, Colás batted .362/.417/.533 against southpaws in the minors last season. April 5 Jorge Soler knocked in four runs with a pair of homers Wednesday in leading the Marlins to a 5-2 win over the Twins. Jorge Soler launched a 409-foot home run off Pablo López for the early 1-0 lead in the first inning against the Twins. In the bottom of the eighth, Soler continued his hot streak with a 3-run home run that extended Miami's lead to 5-1.De La Cruz's RBI single earlier in the inning and the home run ultimately decided the game. This season, Soler has made a big impact for the Marlins, whether it's with his homers or his glove. He is looking to prove what made him a former All-Star and World Series MVP. Soler has three homers and three doubles among his seven hits this season. Soler is a 35-homer threat if things go well for him this season. Luis Robert Jr. and Yoán Moncada go 3-for-8 combined. Luis Robert Jr. had an excellent Wednesday afternoon going 3-for-4 against the Giants in a 7-3 win. Robert had two singles and added his second double of the year. It was in the fifth inning, when Robert doubled on a line drive to bring home Elvis Andrus. Luis Robert is slashing .333/.333/.630 to start the year, with 2 homers and 3 RBI. In the same game Yoán Moncada, the All-World Baseball Classic Team third baseman recorded an RBI single off Sean Hjelle and went 2-for-4 in the game. Moncada is also having a great start of 2023 with 2 homeruns, 5 RBI and a slash line of .440/462/.840. José Adolis went 2-for-4 with a double and two runs against the Orioles on Wednesday. José has had a great start to the season slashing .348/.375/.522 with a homer and 5 RBI. He went 2-for-4 Wednesday and added his first double of the year. It is expected that José Adolis will have another strong season, after hitting 58 homers and 60 doubles the last two years with the Rangers. Astros' Yordan Álvarez and José Abreu went 2-for-6 combined Wednesday. Álvarez went 1-for-2 adding his 10 RBI of the year and his second walk. Meanwhile Abreu, who is slashing .345/.406/.379 with 3 RBI but no homers, went 1-for-4 and is now in a seven-game consecutive hitting streak. Yulieski Gurriel was out Wednesday. Gurriel didn't see action on Wednesday 5-2 win against the Twins. He is getting used to be just a backup infielder for the Marlins, after great success with the Astros during his first seven MLB seasons that included four trips to the World Series and two WS championships. He is slashing .375 in all categories in only three games and 8 at bat with the Marlins this year. I don't think this is the role the soon to be 39-year old was planning to have when he signed with Miami weeks ago. Athletics' Aledmys Díaz: Was out Wednesday. Díaz took a seat Wednesday versus the Guardians. Díaz got a breather after starting the first five games of the season, going 3-for-19 with an RBI and a run scored over those contests. Nick Allen drew the start at shortstop and batted eighth in Wednesday's series finale with Cleveland.

Major League Baseball (MLB) and other Cuban Players News for the 2023 season. A compendium from several sources April 4 Yandy Díaz blasted a three-run homer as part of a five-run rally in the ninth inning as the Rays triumphed over the Nationals 10-6 on Tuesday. Díaz crushed the third of three home runs off of Nationals' closer Kyle Finnegan in the inning, with his blast traveling 414 feet (111.8 mph EV). The 31-year-old also walked, singled and scored three runs in the contest, finishing his terrific night 2-for-4 officially. Díaz has come out of the gate flying in 2023, batting .357 (5-for-14) through four games with two homers, six RBI, six runs and a 3:2 BB:K, slashing .357/.471/.857. Álvarez has reached 400 hits. During Houston's 6-3 loss to Detroit on Tuesday night, Álvarez reached the mark in his 373rd professional game. It was a single to center field in the bottom of the eighth inning off the lefthanded Chasen Shreve. Álvarez, who went 1-for-4 and also threw out Matt Vierling at home in the top of the 3rd inning, is off to a blistering start in 2023, slashing .333/.391/.667 with 2 home runs and 9 RBIs. Rangers' Adolis García: Homers in loss. García went 1-for-4 with a homer in a loss to the Rangers on Tuesday. It's the first homer of the season for García. It came off Kyle Gibson in the second inning to make the score 5-1 Orioles. García is off to a nice start with a slash of .316/.350/.474 over the first six games of 2023. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters on Tuesday that Miguel Vargas is also dealing with a left groin injury. Roberts noted that Vargas suffered the injury while turning a double play during Sunday's game. He also said the 23-year-old could have played through the ailment if necessary, but with a scheduled off-day on Wednesday they felt it wise to give him some extra rest. Look for him to return to the lineup on Thursday against the Diamondbacks in Arizona. Vargas was hit in the right thumb by a pitch during Monday's game. The 23-year-old is off to an outstanding start to the season, going 3-for-8 (.375) with a league-leading nine walks through his first five contests. José Barrero (hamstring) was absent from the Reds' lineup for Tuesday's game against the Cubs but cleared for Wednesday. No surprise here after Barrero was removed from Monday's series opener against the Cubs with right hamstring tightness. The 24-year-old was making his first appearance in center field prior to the injury. He was considered day-to-day but it was cleared to start Wednesday. Barrero will start today at shortstop and bat eighth against the Cubs.

Major League Baseball (MLB) and other Cuban Players News for the 2023 season. A compendium from several sources April 3, 2023 Miguel Vargas is day-to-day with right thumb soreness. Vargas was able to stay in Monday's series opener against the Rockies after being hit on the right thumb by a 92-mph fastball in the seventh inning. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said afterwards that Vargas had full range of motion and strength, but will likely undergo some precautionary testing on Tuesday to rule out anything serious. The 23-year-old rookie has gotten off to an excellent start this season, batting .375 (3-for-8) with a league-leading nine walks through five games. Nestor Cortés pitched well in Monday's victory over the Phillies in his season debut, allowing just one run on seven hits over his five innings of work. The left-hander didn't walk a batter while striking out three in the contest. The only blemish on his night came on an RBI single by Edmundo Sosa in the fourth inning. Cortés fired 55 of his 80 pitches for strikes in the game -- registering 11 swings and misses while posting a CSW of 29 percent. He'll see if he can keep the good times rolling when he takes on the Orioles in Baltimore on Saturday. Luis Robert Jr. slugged his second home run of the season on Monday in the White Sox' blowout loss to the Giants. Robert Jr. cut into Chicago's sizable deficit with an opposite-field solo shot to right field off lefty Sean Manaea in the eighth inning. He also made a spectacular catch in center field to rob Joc Pederson of a two-homer game. The 25-year-old outfielder has gone deep twice in his first five games to open the regular season. Braves manager Brian Snitker told reporters on Monday that right-hander Raisel Iglesias (shoulder) has yet to resume throwing. The star closer was shut down at the end of March due to low-grade shoulder inflammation with the expectation that he'd be able to return in mid-April. The fact that he's not throwing yet though will likely push that timetable back, as the longer he's down the longer it will take him to build back up. At this point, it would be surprising to see him return before the end of April. Yordan Álvarez blasted a game-tying three-run homer on Monday night, but the Astros still fell to the Tigers in 11 innings in Houston. The Astros entered the home half of the fifth inning trailing 4-0, but that was quickly eradicated as Jeremy Pena drove in a run with a fielder's choice and then Álvarez clobbered a 435-foot three-run blast off of José Cisnero to tie the game. He also plated a run with a fielder's choice in the 11th, finishing the night 1-for-6. With his homerun Álvarez became the fastest Astros player in history to reach 100 home runs in the Majors with this home run. Currently, Alvarez is hitting .353/.421/.765 with a pair of home runs and nine RBIs. Johan Oviedo surrendered five runs -- four earned -- in 4 2/3 innings Monday against the Red Sox. Spotted a three-run lead in the top of the first, Oviedo blew it by giving up five runs in the bottom of the inning. He had some help there, as Bryan Reynolds miscommunicated with Jack Suwinski on Justin Turner's fly to center and wound up letting an easy play bounce off his glove. After the three-homer first, Oviedo pitched 3 2/3 scoreless innings. He has a chance to be useful in NL-only leagues while occupying a spot in the Pirates rotation. José Barrero was pulled from Monday's battle against the Cubs due to right hamstring tightness. Barrero sustained the injury while running to first base after singling off of Drew Smyly in his only at-bat in the game. As of now, it doesn't sound like anything that should require a trip to the injured list, so Barrero should be considered day-to-day. Padres sent RHP Michel Báez outright to Triple-A El Paso. Báez went unclaimed on waivers after being designated for assignment last week by the Padres. The 27-year-old righty, who was an interesting pitching prospect several years ago, is now off San Diego's 40-man roster. He made just a pair of relief appearances last year in the majors.

Major League Baseball (MLB) and other Cuban Players News for the 2023 season. A compendium from several sources April 2 Yoán Moncada homered, doubled twice and walked Sunday to lead the White Sox to a 6-3 win over the Astros. Moncada went 3-for-4 with a two-run home run, two doubles, two runs scored and a walk during Sunday's 6-3 win over the Astros. Moncada had as many extra-base hits today as he did in 15 games last May and one fewer than in 16 games in June or 24 games in August. Today's hits were actually kind of light; even the homer was hit at just 98 mph and the doubles left the bat at 79 and 91 mph. However, he was already doing very well in terms of exit velocity in the first three games of the year. It seems like he's worth grabbing in leagues in which he's available. Moncada leads all White Sox hitters in nearly every category. His .444 average, .944 slugging, two homers, four RBI and three doubles all lead the team. His three runs scored are tied for first with Tim Anderson, and his .474 OBP ranks second behind Yasmani Grandal. White Sox's Oscar Colás: Continues strong start. Colás went 2-for-5 with a double, an RBI, a run scored and a steal in Sunday's 6-3 win over the Astros. Colás produced his second straight multi-hit game and delivered the first stolen base of his career in Sunday's series finale. The 24-year-old found himself on the bench Opening Day, but he started the past three games in right field and has gone 5-for-14 at the plate. On Sunday, Luis Robert Jr. continued to shine defensively and hit a homerun. In Sunday's game against the Astros, Luis Robert continued his strong defense while hitting his first home run of the season. His 2-for-5 performance included a double, home run, run and RBI, as well as another stellar defensive play in center field. Randy Arozarena went 1-for-3 with a solo homer and two runs scored in Sunday’s win over the Tigers. Randy Arozarena went and got a well-placed four-seam fastball from Joey Wentz that was just below the strike zone and deposited it 436 ft towards left-center field. The 28-year-old is having a great start to the season, slashing .300/.462/.700 with one homer. He hasn’t attempted a steal, which is surprising with the rule changes and his tendency to run wild on the base paths, but he should get his first swipe of the season soon. Yordan Álvarez was not in the Astros' starting lineup in Sunday's series finale against the White Sox. Dusty Baker told reporters that Alvarez wouldn't play every day early in the season because he had so few at-bats in the spring. The 25-year-old has been white-hot at the dish to start the season, batting .455/.538/.818 with one homer and five RBI. He should return to the Astros lineup Monday against the Tigers. Reds' Jose Barrero: Took seat Sunday. Barrero was out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Pirates. Barrero started the Reds' first two games of the season at shortstop, going hitless with two strikeouts over seven at-bats. Kevin Newman covered the position in the series finale, and Reds manager David Bell could be inclined to ride the hotter bat between Newman and Barrero before settling on a preferred everyday option at shortstop. After going 2-for-4 with a go-ahead two-run home run in Saturday's win over Pittsburgh while serving as the Reds' designated hitter, Newman may have a leg up on Barrero at the moment. Dodgers' Miguel Vargas: Got Sunday off. Vargas was out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Diamondbacks, Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times reported. Manager Dave Roberts opened a spot in the outfield for Trayce Thompson for the second day in a row after Thompson slugged three home runs and drove in eight in Saturday's 10-1 win, resulting in Vargas being the odd man out of the lineup. Mookie Betts moved to the keystone to facilitate room for Thompson, while Vargas heads to the bench after going 2-for-5 with a double, seven walks and three runs through the Dodgers' first three contests. However, on Sunday's game Vargas negotiated his eighth walk of the year as a pinch hitter for David Peralta in the eighth episode.

Major League Baseball (MLB) and other Cuban Players News for the 2023 season. A compendium from several sources March 31 Jorge Soler went 2-for-3 with a solo homer against the Mets on Friday as the Marlins got Skip Schumaker his first win as manager. Soler hit a 407-foot blast to right-center off David Peterson in the second inning to put the Marlins ahead early. He also made a pair of outstanding catches in right field, believe it or not. Soler’s first season with the Marlins was a big disappointment, partially due to injury, but he’s just two years removed from swatting 27 homers. His power should play in most mixed league lineups. The Marlins' rotation between the corner outfield spots and designated hitter is still in flux, so Soler could earn consistent work in the field as the season unfolds -- although it should be noted the 31-year-old was replaced by Bryan De La Cruz in the top of the ninth, so manager Skip Schumaker doesn't yet view Soler as part of his best defensive alignment. Yordan Álvarez crushed a go-ahead three-run double in the seventh inning on Friday, leading the Astros to a 6-3 victory over the White Sox. The Astros entered the seventh inning trailing 3-2, but they got something going with two outs as Martin Maldonado walked, Jeremy Peña singled and Alex Bregman walked to load the bases. Álvarez then unloaded them, smashing a three-run double off of Jake Diekman to give Astros control of the ballgame. Álvarez also drew a walk in the contest, finishing the night 1-for-3. He already has four RBI through his first two games of the season and is perhaps the most feared hitter in the American League with men on base. Yuli Gurriel started against the Mets on Friday. Veteran infielder Gurriel saw action in a starting lineup for the first time this year. He went 1-for-3 against the Mets batting seventh and playing first base. It is expected that the 38-year-old infielder will have some opportunities on the Marlins' roster, but it is up to him to capitalize on them and gain a spot on a daily basis. Oscar Colás started in right field and batted eighth for the White Sox against Cristian Javier and the Astros on Friday evening in Houston. The 24-year-old was stationed on the bench on Opening Day as the Astros had left-hander Framber Valdez on the hill -- but he still came off the bench with a pinch-hit single. On Friday, Colás batted eighth and went hitless (0-for-3) with a strikeout and leaving two runners on. Diamondbacks' Lourdes Gurriel: Moves to DH. Gurriel served as the designated hitter and went 1-for-4 in Friday's 2-1 win over the Dodgers. Gurriel has played both games thus far, as the left fielder Thursday against a lefty and the DH on Friday against a righty. Early signs indicate manager Torey Lovullo may hold back on center fielder Alex Thomas against lefties, which means Gurriel could play a near-everyday role. Dodgers' Miguel Vargas: Reaches base four times Friday. Vargas went 1-for-1 with a double and three walks in a loss to Arizona on Friday. Vargas nearly hit his first home run of the season in the second inning, but the ball bounced off the wall, and he ended up with a double. The rookie set the table by walking in each of his three subsequent plate appearances, but the batters below him in the order couldn't cash him in. Vargas has displayed an astute eye at the plate through two games, walking five times over eight plate appearances.

Major League Baseball (MLB) and other Cuban Players News for the 2023 season. A compendium from several sources On March 30, 2023, Major League Baseball began its regular season and it will end on October 1, 2023. Several rule changes have been introduced this season. To speed up play, a pitch timer and other minor changes were introduced, as well as limits on defensive shifts and larger bases. Cuba started the 2023 campaign with 18 active players on the major league rosters, although the list is expected to increase throughout the campaign, with players such as Yosver Zulueta, Andy Pagés, Raisel Iglesias, etc. appearing inactive in the 40-man roster due to various reasons. We will keep a close eye on them during the 2023 Major League season. 2023 MLB Baseball Players Born in Cuba (40-Man Roster) 1. José Abreu, Houston Astros 2. Yordan Álvarez, Houston Astros 3. Randy Arozarena, Tampa Bay Rays 4. José Barrero, Cincinnati Reds 5. Oscar Colás, Chicago White Sox (Rookie) 6. Aledmys Díaz, Okland A's 7. Yandy Díaz, Tampa Bay Rays 8. Adolis García, Texas Rangers 9. Yasmani Grandal, Chicago White Sox 10. Lourdes Gurriel Jr., Arizona Dbacks 11. Yoán Moncada, Chicago White Sox 12. Cionel Pérez, Baltimore Orioles 13. Luis Robert Jr., Chicago White Sox 14. Jorge Soler, Miami Marlins 15. Miguel Vargas, Los Angeles Dodgers 16. Néstor Cortés, New York Yankees 17. Aroldis Chapman, Kansas City Royals 18. Yulieski Gurriel, Miami Marlins 19. Raisel Iglesias, Atlanta Braves (40-man roster - IL-15) 20. Yennier Cano, Baltimore Orioles (40-man roster-Minors) 21. Yosver Zulueta, Toronto Blue Jays ( 40-man roster-Minors) 22. Vladimir Gutiérrez, Cincinnati Reds (40-man roster - IL-60) 23. Andy Pagés, Los Angeles Dodgers (40-man roster-Minors) 24. Adrián Morejón, San Diego Padres (40-man roster - IL-60) March 30 Yordan Álvarez crushed a solo homer on Thursday in the Astros' season-opening loss to the White Sox Álvarez slashed the Astros' deficit to a single run with a gargantuan 442-foot ninth-inning moonshot off hard-throwing righty Reynaldo López. The 25-year-old fantasy superstar has shown zero signs of rust, despite missing the majority of spring training due to a left hand issue. He'll receive the occasional day off as the Astros monitor his workload at the outset of the season, but he remains as productive as ever with a bat in his hands. Grandal went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Thursday's 3-2 victory over the Astros The White Sox were unable to get on the scoreboard through seven innings before Grandal broke through with a 401-foot solo shot off Rafael Montero in the eighth. The veteran backstop experienced a dramatic decline in power last season with just five homers in 376 plate appearances, so this was a promising start to the campaign. Grandal struggled in 2022, but it's worth remembering that he hit at least 22 long balls each campaign (aside from the shortened 2020 season) from 2016 to 2021. Oscar Colás delivered a pinch-hit single on Thursday in his major league debut against the Astros Colás came off the White Sox' bench to deliver a 109-mph single off righty reliever Héctor Neris in his first big league at-bat. The 24-year-old outfielder figures to make an impact this season, especially if he is able to continually handle MLB pitchers. He just missed a potential go-ahead homer in the ninth inning in his next at-bat. Marlins' Yuli Gurriel: To be used as bench bat Marlins manager Skip Schumaker indicated Wednesday that Gurriel will primarily be used as a bat off the bench, Christina De Nicola of MLB.com reported. Schumaker did say that he feels comfortable deploying Gurriel against both righties and lefties but also went on to confirm that Garrett Cooper will remain the team's primary first baseman. Gurriel must prove that he is capable of playing regularly after a 2022 season where he slashed just .242/.288/.360 across 584 regular-season plate appearances. Rangers' Adolis García: Stars in CF García started in center field and went 2-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored in Thursday's 11-7 win over Philadelphia. The Rangers need to adjust to center fielder Leody Taveras (oblique) being on the injured list to start the season, and García will be one option in center. Bubba Thompson, who came off the bench later to play center, will also be in the mix. When Thompson starts, García is expected to be in right field. Diamondbacks' Lourdes Gurriel: Part of Opening Day lineup Gurriel started in left field and went 1-for-4 in Thursday's 8-2 loss to the Dodgers on Opening Day. Arizona manager Torey Lovullo deployed right-handed hitters Gurriel and Kyle Lewis (as DH) against Dodgers lefty Julio Urias, which meant one of the Diamondbacks' left-handed hitting outfielders would be on the bench. It was Alek Thomas. The speculation was that Arizona's all-lefty outfield would remain intact as the primary starters whether against lefties or righties, but that may not be the case. Right-hander Dustin May takes the hill Friday, so Lovullo will likely adjust to include Thomas in the outfield. Miguel Vargas started at second base and batted seventh on Opening Day for the Dodgers Vargas is one of the most intriguing hitting prospects in the National League and has an opportunity to do a ton of damage this season following a loaded middle of the order in Los Angeles. On Thursday he made his 2023 MLB debut, going 0-for-2 with two walks, a run and a strikeout.

Next year's Premier12 will be determined by the top 12 nations at the end of 2023 After the conclusion of the 20-nation World Baseball Classic 2023 — the top-tier World Baseball Championship hosted by Major League Baseball and Major League Baseball Players Association — the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) today released the latest ranking in the WBSC Men's Baseball World Rankings. A minimum of 242 points was required for participation and 1,150 points were guaranteed to the winners, 953 to the runners-up, and 905 to the third and fourth-place finishers. With 5,323 points, Japan holds the top spot in the World Rankings, followed by the United States with 4,402 points and Mexico with 4,130 points. The top five are completed by Chinese Taipei (4,061) and Korea (4,049), while Venezuela (3,534) remains at No. 6. With 3,151 points, Cuba (seventh) and Australia (ninth, 2,600) improved their rankings. For the first time since 2006, Cuba advanced to the World Baseball Classic semifinals. It was Australia's best result in World Classics editions, finishing in sixth place. The Netherlands (3,089) has dropped one position and stands at No. 8, while Dominican Republic (2,415) stands at No. 10. Among the biggest movers, Italy (2,017) climbed four spots into the all-important top-12 rankings at No. 12. China improved the most to No. 23, gaining seven spots, followed by Israel (No. 18) and Great Britain (No. 20). In addition to WBSC-sanctioned tournaments, such as the U-12 Baseball World Cup, Premier12, World Baseball Classic, and continental tournaments, the WBSC Men's Baseball World Rankings take into account all results over the past four years. At the end of 2023, the top 12 nations qualify for the next Premier12 tournament. Here is the full WBSC ranking.

With its Premier12 title in 2019, Olympic (2021) and World Classic (2023) titles, Japan confirms its position as the top team in the world MIAMI - It was Shohei Ohtani who closed for Samurai Japan and struck out his teammate Mike Trout, fulfilling Japan's promise as a great favorite. A sold-out stadium in Miami brought together 36,098 fans to watch the match at LoanDepot Park in Miami, when Japan beat Team USA 3-2 and won the World Classic title in 2023. This is the third title for the Asian baseball giant, which also won titles in 2006 and 2009. At the World Classics, only Japan has reached all semifinals. In closing a third and historic victory, there was nothing better than Shohei Ohtani, the legendary pitcher and batter, who finished the tournament with an out over his Major League teammate, Mike Trout, and jumped in celebration, as his teammates ran to the mound to celebrate Japan's 3-2 win over the North American team. Box score | Play-by-Play However, there was still drama in the ninth episode. It was expected that Darvish and Ohtani would appear at the end of the game, and when the right-hander warmed up in the bullpen during the eighth inning, everyone was already anticipating the matchup with Trout. That ninth inning, Ohtani began it by walking Jeff McNeil, who had replaced Tim Anderson in the game. A potential extension of the match seemed imminent, but Mookie Betts was retired on a ground ball double play. This silenced the stadium and set up Trout's confrontation. It wasn't Trout's night or Team USA's. Very high-quality pitching effort by the Japanese team set the tournament record with 75 strikeouts. This made it impossible for Team USA to adjust so quickly. Trout finished with three of eight Team USA strikeouts in the game. Team USA finished 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position, leaving nine men on base. Ohtani said after the game: "I've seen Japan win and I just wanted to be a part of it". In his words, "I am grateful for having such a wonderful experience. I hope that the next generation can be inspired by such triumphs." Asked whether Ohtani would join the team in the next WBC - confirmed for 2026 - Ohtani said emphatically, "Of course, I would." As a result of their third win, Japan has also been confirmed as the world's number one national team, and they are the second team to win the event undefeated, 7-0, after the Dominican Republic team achieved an 8-0 record in the 2013 World Classic's complicated format. As a result of their victory, Japan now has the best record in World Classics, 30-8. As a result of his double offensive efforts and from the mound, Ohtani was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player. Ohtani noted that the individual award is a great honor, but that the award also shows that Japanese baseball is capable of beating any team in the world. Team USA took a 1-0 lead in the second inning after Trea Turner hit a 92 mph fastball off left-handed starter Shota Imanaga. The home run would be Turner's fifth in the tournament, and in the third consecutive game he hit one. In addition to this, he tied the record held by Korean Seung Yuop Lee since 2006 with 5 home runs, thus extending the record for the USA in this tournament. However, Japan would respond to that moment when, in the bottom half of that inning, Munetaka Murakami struck Merrill Kelly's first pitch, a 92.4 mph fastball, for a home run that sped into the right-center seats to tie the game. In the inning, Japan would load the bases with two hits and a walk, and Lars Nootbaar would give up a ground ball to first base, which would be enough to allow Kazuma Okamoto to score from third. With Okamoto's fourth solo home run against reliever Kyle Freeland, the Japanese extend their lead to 3-1, which proves decisive. Despite being dominated for most of the night and receiving five shutouts since Turner's homer in the second inning, Team USA put pressure on the scoreboard in the eighth when Yu Darvish came on in relief and allowed a home run from the first batter he faced. , Kyle Schwarber, to bring Team USA within 3-2. However, it would be the last run Team USA scored against Japanese pitching. The big bats for Team USA failed to perform when they were needed most in the third, fifth, and seventh innings. Nolan Arenado and Schwarber walked in the third, but Turner struck out to end the threat. In the fifth, Mookie Betts started it off with a single, but Trout and Paul Goldschmidt picked up back-to-back strikeouts, and Schwarber ended up popping out to center field after Nolan Arenado's single to move Betts to second. In the seventh, against reliever Taisei Ota, McNeill walked and Betts singled to left leading off the inning, but Trout – on a terrible night for him – gave up the first out on a lined out to the right field as Goldschmidt closed the inning with a groundout for a double. The Japanese team began their tournament journey as part of Group B in Tokyo. They won 8-1 over China, 13-4 over South Korea, 10-2 over the Czech Republic, and 7-1 against Australia. They beat Italy 9-3 in the quarterfinals and in the semifinals they edged Mexico 6-5, in one of the most thrilling games of the tournament. This enabled them to advance to Tuesday's title match. As soon as the tournament concluded, the All-World Baseball Classic team was announced. In addition to being the best designated hitter and pitcher, Ohtani also won the Most Valuable Player Award. Meanwhile, three Cubans were included on the WBC Team, relief pitcher Luis M. Romero, third baseman Yoán Moncada, and left fielder Randy Arozarena, this time playing for Mexico. (Cover Photo: SAMURAI JAPAN/Koji Watanabe)

Cuba finishes with fourth place in the tournament with a 3-3 record, while Team USA improves to 5-1 in this World Classic and waits for an opponent to be decided this Monday One win separates Team USA from winning its second consecutive World Baseball Classic. Team USA cruised to a 14-2 victory over Cuba in Miami on Sunday evening to qualify for Tuesday's championship game. The USA will face the winner of Monday night's match between Japan and Mexico. Cuba has been eliminated from the competition. After Japan (2006 and 2009) and Puerto Rico (2013 and 2017), the USA is the third team to appear in back-to-back WBC championship games. In WBC history, only Japan won back-to-back titles in 2006 and 2009. In 2006, 2009, and 2013, the USA did not advance beyond the second round of the World Baseball Classic. For the first semifinal matchup of the World Baseball Classic 2023, held on Sunday in Miami at loanDepot Park in front of a crowd of 35,779 spectators, Team USA scored in seven of its eight offensive innings, beating the Cuban national team 14-2, in a historic match. Box score | Play-by-Play As a result of their victory, Team USA is still hopeful they will be the second team in this tournament to win consecutive championships. They await the second semifinal of the tournament on Monday when they will be matched with an opponent yet to be decided between Mexico and Japan, the other semifinalists. This was, for Cuba and the United States, the first time they had met in a World Baseball Classic, and the first time a Cuban national team had played in Miami. In a game in which three arrests occurred due to protests on the field - and in the stands - against the island's communist system, Cuba aggressively began the game where they hoped to return to their first World Classic final since 2006, loading the bases in the first inning off right-handed starter Adam Wainwright with three infield singles but they scored only one run. Alfredo Despaigne walked to give Cuba a 1-0 lead but Wainwright recovered. As a result of a ground ball to third base (force out at home), a pop-up to second base, and a ground ball to short, the rally was put an end and the damage was limited. With his walk, Despaigne now holds the record for the longest on-base streak in WBC history. From 2009 to the present, he has been on base in 18 consecutive games. Previously, Robinson Canó held the record with 17 games. But Team USA responded quickly when Paul Goldschmidt hit a home run in the bottom of the first inning off starter Roenis Elias with Mookie Betts on base, taking the lead and never letting it go. In spite of Cuban pitching, the USA didn't stop scoring during the night. Two runs in the first, one run in the second, two runs in the third, two runs in the fourth, two runs in the fifth, four runs in the sixth, and one more in the eighth gave Team USA a significant lead early on and during the game. Trea Turner's hot bat contributed to the attack with two home runs. In the bottom of the second inning, with two outs Team USA would extend their lead when Turner followed up with a home run to left off Elias. As a result, Turner became the sixth player from the United States to hit a home run in consecutive games. He was preceded by Derrek Lee (2006), Kevin Youkilis and Adam Dunn (2009), and Adam Jones and Buster Posey (2017). In the bottom of the sixth Turner homered again. This time against reliever Elian Leyva with two on base, becoming the second Team USA player with two homers in a WBC game, joining Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr. who did it in 2006. At the same time, Turner set a WBC record with two straight games of four RBIs. The Cubans used seven pitchers in the game, six relievers, and all of them gave up at least one run. Overall the Cuban pitchers were a total disaster in the game. Until the seventh inning, they weren't able to hold the USA scoreless. Meanwhile, after a shaky first inning, Wainwright would demonstrate why he has been one of the best pitchers in crucial games in the majors. Wainwright retired 12 of the last 15 batters he faced and didn't even need to reach 90 mph. In four innings, he isolated five hits, three in the first inning, with 64 pitches, and 42 strikes, giving his team a quality start. After four innings of one-run ball, Wainwright was replaced by St. Louis teammate Miles Mikolas, who pitched four innings of one-run ball for the USA. In the ninth inning, Aaron Loup got the final three outs to seal the win and a place in the championship game.