Cuban Players News for the 2024 Major League Baseball season. A compilation of several sources Andy Pagés went 1-for-4 with a home run in a win over the Reds on Sunday. Many people were cutting bait on Pagés after he went through an extended cold streak to start May, but it’s telling that the Dodgers opted to stick with him and demote James Outman to Triple-A instead. While Pagés’ strikeouts have increased in May, he has always posted solid walk rates in the minors, so it was fair to assume he would adjust his approach to counter how pitchers started to attack him. The 105 mph home run off Hunter Greene is another reminder of the power that he possesses, and if the Dodgers are going to keep him in the starting lineup, he likely deserves to at least be on your bench. Adolis García underwent an MRI exam on his injured right forearm on Sunday which came back clean for any structural damage. The 31-year-old slugger was scratched from the Angels’ lineup on Sunday due to a right forearm issue. It looks like he avoided anything serious though and Rangers’ skipper Bruce Bochy told reporters that he expects García to return to the team’s starting lineup on Tuesday. Astros general manager Dana Brown told reporters that José Abreu could return to the Astros as soon as Friday. The Astros optioned Abreau to extended spring training at the end of April with the infielder hitting just .099 with one extra-base hit over 22 games with Houston. The 37-year-old has gone 2-for-9 with a double and a walk in two games with the FCL Astros in the Gulf Coast League, and he's expected to play in a couple more games -- potentially with Triple-A Sugar Land -- this week before rejoining the Astros. Jon Singleton has been operating as Houston's primary first baseman over the past few weeks, and it's unclear if Abreu will immediately reclaim the job once he's called back up. Andy Ibáñez returned to lineup Sunday. Andy Ibáñez returned to the lineup for the Detroit Tigers against the Arizona Diamondbacks Sunday. Ibáñez was back with a left-hander on the mound, batting leadoff and starting at second base. In a 6-4 loss to the D-backs, he went 0-for-2 with a walk and a run scored. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. was also back in the Arizona lineup Sunday Lourdes Gurriel Jr. was also back in the lineup for the Arizona Diamondbacks against the Detroit Tigers Sunday. Gurriel Jr. returned after sitting out for rest reasons Saturday. In the game he went 2-for-4. He has struggled at the plate, slashing .196/.250/.250 with no homers, four RBI, and 15 strikeouts over his last 15 games. For the year, he has 5 home runs and 26 RBI. Yennier Cano tagged with loss Saturday. Cionel Pérez saw action too. Baltimore Orioles reliever Yennier Cano took the loss in Saturday's 4-3 loss to the Mariners. The 30-year-old entered the game in the eighth with the game tied at 2-2 but allowed a leadoff single and then a double that plated one run, then was lifted from the game after recording the first out. Cionel Perez gave up a double that allowed Cano's runner to score and the O's would be down 4-2, unable to complete a comeback after that. Cano has been mostly solid, posting a 2.95 ERA while recording 10 holds and two saves on the season, although the 1.36 WHIP could use some improving and he's blown two saves. Yandy Díaz on base five times Saturday. Tampa Bay Rays first baseman Yandy Diaz was 3-for-3 with two walks and a run scored in Saturday's 5-4 win over the Blue Jays. Since May 3, the 32-year-old is 23-for-60 (.365) with four doubles, two home runs, 12 RBI, 10 runs scored, and a 7:8 BB:K, seeing his season average go from .211 to .263 in the process. So far, it's not the type of season we're used to seeing from him over the last couple of seasons but perhaps this is the beginning of breakout. The 2023 All-Star and AL batting champ is still making great contact (89.5% Contact%) and hitting the ball with authority (50.3% HardHit%). Adolis García hits eleventh home run. Texas Rangers outfielder Adolis Garcia launched his eleventh home run of the season in Saturday's 3-2 win over the Angels. Angels starter Patrick Sandoval had held Garcia and the Rangers in check until the sixth inning when the 31-year-old took the southpaw deep to knot the score at 1-1. It was the 2x All-Star's third home run in his last four games, but despite the power surge, he's having a rough May, slashing just .188/.216/.348 during the month. On the season, the powerful righty has a .251-11-35-24-4 line with a .337 wOBA and 117 wRC+.

Cuban Players News for the 2024 Major League Baseball season. A compilation of several sources Nestor Cortes was hermetic Friday. Cortes worked seven innings without allowing an earned run in the Yankees 4-2 win over the White Sox on Friday. He struck out six, walked one, allowed five hits, and earned the win. This was the fourth time this season that Cortes has completed at least seven innings. He’s been a reliable, steadying force in the Yankees’ rotation and looks to have bounced back fully after a poor 2023. Yasmani Grandal went 2-for-5 and knocked in three runs in the rout of the Pirates on Friday. Grandal has started four of the last five games over Joey Bart, so it’s not much of a job share behind the plate for the Pirates right now. Grandal has hit .212/.229/.424 but with nine RBI in 10 games since coming off the injured list. Dodgers recalled INF/OF Miguel Vargas from Triple-A Oklahoma City. Right now, Vargas is slashing .295/.437/.583 with eight homers, 38 RBI in Triple-A. Vargas has been playing almost exclusively in left field during this time in Triple-A. The Dodgers are in need of a third baseman, but Dodgers’ manager Dave Roberts told reporters on Friday however that Vargas will play left field while he’s with the big league club. Giants activated OF Jorge Soler from the 10-day injured list. The 32-year-old slugger will return to the Giants’ lineup on Friday night against the Rockies, serving as their leadoff man and designated hitter. Before landing on the injured list with a right shoulder strain, Soler had been hitting a disappointing .202/.294/.361 with five long balls and only eight RBI in 34 games. White Sox placed INF Bryan Ramos on the 10-day injured list with a left quad strain. The 22-year-old rookie third baseman suffered the injury during Tuesday’s game and wasn’t progressing as quickly as the White Sox had hoped, so he wound up requiring a trip on the injured list. Ramos will now be out for at least another eight days due to the injury even when no timetable has been set for Ramos to return, but White Sox manager Pedro Grifol said on Friday that "He wasn't 100 percent. He wasn't close to it," before stating he was probably closer to 70 percent. The rookie infielder is slashing .281/.294/.344 through his first 10 big-league games. Yordan Alvarez was not in the Astros’ starting lineup for Friday night’s matchup against the Brewers. It was a rare and well-deserved night off for the 26-year-old slugger. Alvarez has a .646 OPS through 15 games in May and went 1-for-11 with five strikeouts over the past three contests, and he'll sit Friday after starting the first 44 games of the campaign. Alvarez has been disappointing by his standards and has gone just 13-for-56 (.232) with one home run, two RBI and 15 strikeouts in 62 plate appearances in the first 15 games in the month of May. We'd expect the 26-year-old left-handed slugger to turn things around sooner than later at the plate, and he'll get a day off to clear his head on Friday. Andy Ibanez sitting for Detroit on Friday. Detroit Tigers infielder Andy Ibanez is not in the starting lineup for Friday's game against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Cuban Players News for the 2024 Major League Baseball season. A compilation of several sources Aroldis Chapman grabbed his ninth hold of the season. Chapman returned to the field this Thursday after suffering a cracked nail last Sunday. In a 5-4 win against the Cubs, he pitched in the seventh inning, striking out two hitters on 17 pitches, 12 of which were strikes. His ERA dropped to 4.30 for the year, and he also got his ninth hold. Randy Arozarena with one hit Thursday. Arozarena went 1-for-4 with a walk, a run scored and a strikeout Thursday in a 7-5 victorya against the Red Sox. While his counting stats have been trending positively, Arozarena has still struck out at a 31.7 percent clip in May, leading to a .192 batting average for the month. Despite this, he still has 8 home runs, 18 RBI, 21 runs scored, and 7 stolen bases to his credit. Yandy Díaz went hitless Thursday. Díaz went 0-for-4 with a RBI Thursday against the Red Sox. Díaz started to turn his season around recently, but is still hitting only .247 across 196 plate appearances this season, and he's failed to record a homerun in his last 4 games. However, he's remained installed as the Rays' leadoff hitter and has struck out only 15.7 percent of the time so far this year, so there's reason to believe his results will even out over time. Against the A's, Yordan Alvarez went hitless. Alvarez went 0-for-3 with 2 strikeouts in Thursday's 8-1 win over Oakland and continued his unusual lack of offense. Alvarez was replaced by a pinch hitter late in the game. During the last three games, he has gone 1 for 11 with five strikeouts and no home runs or RBIs. Andy Pagés was not in the lineup for Thursday’s series opener against the Reds. Pagés got a night off to reset mentally after going 0-for-9 with six strikeouts over his last two games against the Giants. This was the first time the rookie from Cuba hit the bench since his major league promotion. As a pinch-hitter in the ninth inning, he went 1-for-1 with a run scored. Pagés has performed exceptionally well in his first taste of the majors with a .267/.306/.446 line with four long balls and one swiped bag and should be expected to return to the starting lineup on Friday. It is only now that the rookie is experiencing his first major setback.

Cuban Players News for the 2024 Major League Baseball season. A compilation of several sources Adolis García went 2-for-4 with a two-run homer to lift the Rangers to a 4-0 win over the Guardians. García knocked a base hit in the fourth inning, then took Nick Sandlin deep for a two-run homer in the sixth to extend the Rangers lead. The 31-year-old slugger has multiple hits in back-to-back games amid a cold stretch. Prior to Tuesday, he had gone 19 games without a multi-hit effort, batting a meager .153 (11-for-72) in that span. García is up to 10 homers while slashing .259/.306/.494 with 34 RBI and four steals across 183 plate appearances, although his high strikeout rate (0.273) might still raise concerns. Yandy Díaz went 1-for-4 with a walk and big two-run single in a win against the Red Sox on Wednesday. Díaz went 1-for-4 with a walk and two RBIs Wednesday in a 4-3 victory against the Red Sox. Díaz had the go-ahead single in the sixth inning when the Rays scored three decisive runs. Díaz's single was scalded at 110.4 MPH. After a slow start to the season, his average has improved to .253 since May 3. Diamondbacks' Lourdes Gurriel: Delivers clutch hit Gurriel went 1-for-3 with a walk, a double and an RBI in Wednesday's 2-1 win over Cincinnati. Gurriel's two-out, bloop double in the eighth inning plated the winning run. The outfielder has been fighting it at the plate and entered the contest batting .121 (8-for-66) with two RBI over the previous 16 games. His average has dropped .231 due to the slump, but Gurriel remains an important middle-of-the-order bat for Arizona and is second on the club with 25 RBI over 40 games. Jorge Soler started rehab assignment and most likely will be activated Friday. San Francisco Giants designated hitter Jorge Soler began a minor-league rehab assignment with Triple-A Sacramento on Wednesday. Soler is slated to play in two games in the minors and will likely be back with the Giants on Friday for the series opener against the division-rival Colorado Rockies if everything goes well there. Before hitting the injured list with a strained right shoulder, the 32-year-old slugger slashed a disappointing .202/.294/.361 with five homers, four doubles, and eight RBI through 119 at-bats (34 games) as San Fran's everyday DH. Despite those shortcomings, Soler would have a great opportunity to jump-start his season while facing off with a Rockies team that entered Wednesday’s action ranked last in team ERA (5.16) and WHIP (1.53) in 2024. Bryan Ramos was out of the lineup Wednesday. Bryan Ramos was not in the starting lineup for the White Sox Wednesday. Ramos was removed from Tuesday’s game with a left quad injury. He is consider day-to-day for now. Aledmys Díaz played five innings on defense Tuesday. Díaz started at third base and played five innings in Triple-A Las Vegas' win over El Paso on Tuesday, going 1-for-3 with an RBI single. Díaz picked up the first hit of his three-game rehab stint on his final at-bat of the evening, and he took another step in the right direction by logging five frames on defense for the second straight game. The veteran is likely to continue taking a day off between appearances for the moment as his ramp-up following a long layoff continues.

Cuban Players News for the 2024 Major League Baseball season. A compilation of several sources Adolis García went 2-for-4 with a home run and two runs scored in Tuesday’s loss to the Guardians. García’s ninth homer of the season came on a solo blast off Cleveland’s Ben Lively. It was the first homer of the month for García, who has cooled off in a big way after a strong April. García entered the day slashing .154/.193/.173 in the month of May and has become difficult to trust at the plate as a result. Hopefully, Tuesday’s two-hit night is a step in the right direction. Andy Pagés went 0-for-5 with four strikeouts while the rest of the Dodgers were scoring 10 runs Tuesday against the Giants. Jason Heyward has started a rehab assignment, so this is a really bad time for Pagés to go cold. He seems like the more interesting of those two players at this point, but the Dodgers still might send him down if they think Heyward can make at least a modest contribution. Eighth HR of the season for Randy Arozarena. In Tuesday's 5-4 loss to Boston, Arozarena hit his eighth home run of the season. In the game, Arozarena went 1-for-5 with two runs scored, an RBI, and two strikeouts. It's still a terrible season for the outfielder, who is slashing .160/.260/.340 and has eight homers, 18 RBI, 20 runs, and seven stolen bases. Bryan Ramos is day-to-day with left quad tightness. Bryan Ramos was removed from the first game of Tuesday’s doubleheader against the Nationals due to left quad tightness. Not good. Ramos has been one of the few bright spots for Chicago of late. The 22-year-old came out of the contest, after going 1-for-2 with a run scored, a couple frames after going first-to-third back in the fifth inning. Hours later White Sox manager Pedro Grifol confirmed that Ramos suffered the injury while going first-to-third in the fifth inning of the opening contest of Tuesday’s doubleheader against the Nationals. The 22-year-old rookie has been phenomenal for Chicago since being called up earlier this month, so the hope here is that he won’t require a lengthy absence. Yordan Alvarez's quiet day at the plate. Yordan went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts in the Astros' 2-1 win against the A's in extra innings. Yordan struggled against left hander starter J. P. Sears who struck him out twice. Then he struck out against righty Mason Miller en el octavo inning. Yordan's overall impact was minimal, as he failed to drive in any runs or score himself. Andy Ibáñez was back in starting lineup Tuesday. Andy Ibáñez was back in the starting lineup for the Detroit Tigers against the Miami Marlins Tuesday. Ibáñez was back after sitting out the last two games, starting at second base and batting second against the Marlins Tuesday. He went 0-for-4 with a strikeout. Jorge Soler is fine after freak accident. Soler didn't suffer any significant injuries after getting hit in the head while hitting on the field Tuesday, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reported. Soler took swings on the field before Tuesday's game against the Dodgers as the next step in rehabbing his strained right shoulder, but he was removed by a trainer after a foul ball hit off the top of the cage and struck him in the head. However, it appears the outfielder managed to escape the incident with minimal damage. He will be eligible to come off the injured list Wednesday, though there is no telling whether or not he'll be ready to play then.

Cuban Players News for the 2024 Major League Baseball season. A compilation of several sources Yennier Cano blew his second save of the year. Cano blew a save against Toronto on Monday, allowing one earned run on one hit and two walks over 0.1 innings. He did not record a strikeout. In the eighth, Cano entered with a one-run lead, earning the save chance in place of Craig Kimbrel, who had pitched the seventh. Three of the four hitters Cano faced reached base, including a solo homer by Daulton Varsho to tie the game 2-2. Cano had the chance to take over the closer role, but he did not perform as expected. It is unclear if he will have another chance to do so. Yandy Díaz is back with another multi-hit game. Yandy's hitting is seriously improving, and he had another multi-hit game on Monday. In a 5-3 victory over Boston, Yandy went 3-for-5 and scored one run. During the month of May, this was his sixth multi-hit game, and his second three-hit game in the last three days. Following a disastrous April in which he had just six RBIs, eight runs, and no home runs along with a .202/.272/.240 offensive line, Yandy has slashed .362/.400/.574 in May with 2 HR, 9 runs scored, and 8 RBIs. Adrián Morejón goes scoreless Monday against the Rockies. Morejón did not factor into the decision Monday - a 5-4 loss to the Rockies - however, it stopped an offense that had scored five runs on eight hits to starter Randy Vásquez. Morejón threw 3 1/3 perfect scoreless innings with three strikeouts continuing his impressive 2024 season. His ERA has dropped to 2.70 after 11 games, and he has only walked three hitters while has 24 strikeouts. Morejón credits the offseason with allowing him to refine his technique. It was Ruben Niebla, after conducting biomechanical assessments at the Padres' pitching lab, who suggested Morejon's lower arm slot that led to his transformation. The small changes Morejón made have allowed him to achieve the results of this 2024, including an increase in speed and the addition of a sweeper pitch. Yasmani Grandal with second homer of 2024. Grandal went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run and in Monday's 8-6 win over the Brewers. The veteran catcher took Mitch White deep in the bottom of the eighth inning to give the Pirates a 7-2 lead. It was Grandal's second homer and fifth RBI of the year, and he's now slashing .227/.261/.545 in seven games and 23 PA this year. On Monday, Yordan Alvarez had two hits. Yordan went 2-for-3 and walked in a 9-2 win over the A's on Monday. Monday was Alvarez's fifth two-hit game in May. After an intentional walk in the third inning, I singled in the sixth inning. Alvarez knocked one more hit in the eighth inning before being replaced by a pinch runner. The 26-year-old slugger is hitting .264/.339/.453 featuring eight home runs, 23 runs scored, and 20 RBIs across 180 plate appearances. Yariel Rodríguez throws off the mound for the Blue Jays. Rodríguez threw a bullpen session Monday, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reported. He's slated for another bullpen session in the coming days and might be ready for a rehab assignment after that as he recovers from thoracic spine inflammation. Rodríguez had been starting for the Blue Jays before going on the 15-day injured list, but it's uncertain if he'll reclaim his rotation spot from Alek Manoah by the time he's activated. The White Sox are hoping to get Luis Robert Jr. into rehab games later this week. White Sox manager Pedro Grifol said Monday that Robert could begin playing in games with the team's rookie-level Arizona Complex League affiliate later this week, James Fegan of SoxMachine.com reported. The White Sox are aiming for Robert to be able to run at 90 percent effort in the coming days. If that happens, Robert is expected to be cleared for Complex League games. The 26-year-old presumably would eventually move up to a higher-level affiliate to continue his rehab. Robert has been out since early April with a Grade 2 right hip flexor strain but should return from the 10-day injured list before the end of the month if all goes well.

Cuban Players News for the 2024 Major League Baseball season. A compilation of several sources Yandy Díaz went 1-for-4 with a walk, a home run, and two runs scored in a loss to the Yankees. Díaz had a strong series against the Yankees, going 6-for-11 with two home runs across the three games. He’s starting to heat up a bit at the plate and has raised his slash line to .250/.313/.356 with three home runs and 19 RBI. The Rays lineup should get better in the coming months, and Díaz could be starting to heat up as the summer approaches. On Sunday, Cionel Perez allowed three runs. In the Orioles' 9-2 loss to the D-backs on Sunday, Perez had a poor outing. On Sunday, Pérez threw 18 pitches and allowed four of the five men he faced to reach base. In addition to a walk, he allowed three consecutive hits, including Randal Grichuk's two-RBI double. With one strikeout, he allowed three earned runs in 1/3 of an inning. In seven games and five innings, he has a 9.00 ERA. Two hits for Dairon Blanco on Sunday. In Sunday's 4-2 victory over the Angels, Blanco went 2-for-4. When Kansas scored all of its runs in the fourth inning, Dairon Blanco reached on a bunt single, paving the way for Hunter Renfroe's two-run single. Minutes later, he scored on a sacrifice bunt by Michael Massey. With 14 runs scored, a home run and two RBI in 42 games, Blanco is slashing .289/.357/.447. A good offensive moment for Blanco is his recent .400/.438/.667 line along with 4 steals and 6 runs in seven games. Adolis García went 1-for-4 with a RBI on Sunday against the Rockies. García had a 1-for-4 performance in a 3-1 loss to the Rockies on Sunday. His single brought Marcus Siemen home in the first inning, which was the only Ranger RBI. Additionally, he struck out. The 31-year-old slugger has struggled recently, hitting .107/.161/.143 with only one homer and eight RBI. However, he is still enjoying a good start to the season, hitting .253/.304/.461 with ocho homers, 31 RBIs, and four steals across 171 plate appearances. On Sunday, Lourdes Gurriel Jr. went hitless. Gurriel, who has dropped to fifth in the D-backs' lineup, went 0-for-4 in a 9-2 win over the Orioles. Gurriel walked, scored a run, and struck out as well. He has a slash line of .172/.185/.234 in his last 15 games, with three RBIs and no home runs. Aroldis Chapman struggles in loss Sunday. Chapman (0-3) took the loss against the Cubs on Sunday, allowing three runs on three hits and two walks and no strikeouts over 2/3 innings. During his tenth inning appearance, Chapman allowed four out of the five batters he faced to reach base, including two singles, a homer, and a walk. Cody Bellinger's single brought home a run while a two-run home run after an out gave the Cubs a 5-2 lead. An injury forced Chapman to be replaced. During the 11 1/3 innings Chapman has pitched since April 4, he has allowed seven earned runs and walked seventeen batters. In his career, he seems unlikely to regain the closer role. In Sunday's game, Alvarez had two hits. On Sunday, Alvarez went 2-for-5 with a double and a run against the Tigers. After knocking a double in the eighth inning, Alvarez came around to score on a single from Yainer Diaz. After going 3-for-32 between April 28 and May 8, Alvarez has put together a four-game hitting streak. His season slash line of .256/.330/.449 remains well below his career average. Yasmani Grandal rested on Sunday. Grandal was out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Cubs. Grandal had started at catcher both of the past two days, so he was sat Sunday for maintenance purposes as the Pirates and Cubs wrap up their series with an afternoon game. He went 0-for-1 after entering as a pinch hitter in the late innings.

Cuban Players News for the 2024 Major League Baseball season. A compilation of several sources Randy Arozarena homered and drove in four runs on Saturday, leading the Rays to a 7-2 victory over the Yankees in Tampa Bay. The 29-year-old outfielder clobbered a 385-foot (102.5 mph EV) three-run shot off of Nestor Cortés in the third inning, giving the Rays a 4-2 lead that they would never relinquish. He also added a run-scoring double in the seventh inning and scored on a sacrifice fly by Isaac Paredes. The 29-year-old outfielder finished the afternoon 2-for-3 plus a walk, raising his season-slash to a still horrifying .154/.253/.329 to go along with seven homers, 17 RBI and six stolen bases. Yasmani Grandal clobbered his first home run of the season and drove in three runs on Saturday, leading the Pirates in a wild 10-9 victory over the Cubs. The 35-year-old backstop tattooed a Keegan Thompson fastball in the fifth inning, launching a 416-foot (107.7 mph EV) three-run shot that gave the Pirates a 9-8 lead. It was Grandal's first homer and first RBI in five games since making his season debut May 4, and he's gone 4-for-17 over that stretch as he settles into the starting job for Pittsburgh. He also singled and rode home on Michael Taylor’s two-run blast in the fourth inning. Grandal finished the night 2-for-4 with a pair of runs scored and is now hitting .235/.278/.471 with a homer and three RBI. Yandy Díaz clubbed a leadoff home run on Saturday, helping to propel the Rays to victory over the Yankees. Díaz jumped on the very first pitch that Nestor Cortés threw on Saturday, crushing a 401-foot (100.4 mph EV) solo shot over the wall in left-center. He also smacked an RBI double in the seventh inning and scored on a double off the bat of Randy Arozarena. Díaz finished the day 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles and three runs scored. On the season, he’s now slashing .250/.310/.340 with a pair of long balls and 18 RBI. Nestor Cortés struggled in Saturday’s loss to the Rays, giving up four runs on five hits over his 5 1/3 innings of work. Cortés punched out five batters on the afternoon, but also issued three free passes. The 29-year-old southpaw struggled to keep the baseball in the yard, giving up a leadoff homer to Yandy Díaz to start the home half of the first and then a three-run bomb to Randy Arozarena in the third — accounting for all of the damage done against him. Cortés generated 11 swings and misses on 89 pitches on the afternoon, posting a CSW of 31 percent. He’ll look to get back on track as he carries a 4.02 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and a 51/11 K/BB ratio (53 2/3 innings) into Friday’s matchup against the White Sox. The Arizona Diamondbacks' Lourdes Gurriel Jr. had two hits. Gurriel Jr. went 2-for-5 in an extra-innings 5-4 loss to the Orioles. In addition, he recorded his 24th RBI and eighth double of the season. In 36 games and 163 plate appearances, Gurriel has posted a .245/.282/.394 slash line with 5 homers and 21 runs. Raisel Iglesias allowed a solo homer while picking up a strikeout in a relief appearance Saturday against the Mets. Atlanta didn’t allow a hit over the first 8 2/3 innings, but Iglesias gave up the no-no — and the shutout — but allowing a homer to J.D. Martinez. Iglesias also gave up another hit and a walk, but he was able to escape the jam; although the escape comes without a save since he entered the game with a 4-0 lead.

Cuban Players News for the 2024 Major League Baseball season. A compilation of several sources Braves' Raisel Iglesias: Notches 10th save and 200 of his career. Iglesias gave up a run on a hit and a walk over one inning on Friday for his 10th save of the season. The save over the Mets was his 200th in MLB. Iglesias coughed up an RBI single to Pete Alonso with two outs in the ninth but was able to close out the 4-2 victory. Iglesias has now converted 10 of his 12 save chances this year while posting a 10:4 K:BB through 15.1 innings. Friday was the first time he allowed an earned run since April 24 and he still owns a strong 2.25 ERA. There’s some fear of regression though with a paltry 16.1 K%, by far the lowest of his career. Yandy Díaz went 2-for-3 and drew a walk as the Rays were shut out by the Yankees on Friday evening in Tampa Bay. The Rays’ catalyst did his job, with a leadoff single in the first inning, a leadoff single in the sixth and walk to start the ninth inning — but all three times the Rays were unable to bring him home. On the season, the 32-year-old infielder is now hitting .237/.299/.296 with just one home run and 16 RBI. Yennier Cano got his second save Friday after working a scoreless ninth versus the Diamondbacks. The Orioles are giving Craig Kimbrel a break, so Cano is the clear favorite for saves in the pen for the short term. If Kimbrel has any meltdowns in the near future, Cano might take on the closer’s role permanently. Andy Ibáñez went 2-for-5 with a pair of singles and a stolen base on Friday evening as the Tigers fell to the visiting Astros. The known lefty-masher collected both of his hits off of Astros’ southpaw Framber Valdez. He singled in the third inning and raced around to score on Matt Vierling’s two-run double. He also added a single in the fifth inning and swiped second base to get himself into scoring position, but the Tigers were unable to cash him in. The 31-year-old infielder has impressed in his limited action this season, slashing a robust .349/.348/.512 with two homers, seven RBI and a swipe in 45 plate appearances. Yordan Alvarez with two hits. On a 5-2 victory against the Tigers, Yordan Alvarez went 2-for-4. He added his RBI #20 of the year and also scored a run. Alvarez is getting better with his timing and swing hitting .292/.414/.500 with a homer, two RBI and four runs in his last 7 games. Pittsburgh's Yasmani Grandal operated in the catching position on Friday. Pittsburgh Pirates catcher Yasmani Grandal batted eighth in Friday's 7-2 loss to the Cubs. In a matchup versus right-hander Javier Assad and a pair of relievers, Grandal went 1-for-4 with a strikeout. He has played just 13 games this year slashing .154/.214/.231. Blue Jays' Yariel Rodríguez: Playing catch. Rodriguez was playing catch out to 90 feet Friday, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports. Rodríguez seems to be progressing well after being placed on the 15-day IL with thoracic spine inflammation on April 30. While he'll be eligible to return May 14, it seems as though Rodriguez will need more time before being reinstated.

Cuban Players News for the 2024 Major League Baseball season. A compilation of several sources Dairon Blanco went 3-for-3 with a two-run homer, two steals and four runs scored as the Royals topped the Angels 10-4 on Thursday. Kansas City Royals outfielder Dairon Blanco showed up big on Thursday, leading his team to a 10-4 win over the Los Angeles Angels. Blanco went 3-for-3 with four runs scored, two RBI, a homer, and two stolen bases. It was a full stat line for Blanco, but unfortunately the 31-year-old hasn't done much to warrant being rostered. He will steal the occasional base, with 10 on the season, but he hardly starts games and is usually used as a late-game pinch-runner. Bryan Ramos went 2-for-4 Thursday, leading the White Sox to a 3-2 win over the Guardians. It’s pretty remarkable that Ramos is excelling considering that he skipped Triple-A entirely to make the leap to the big leagues earlier this month. The 22-year-old prospect is off to a sizzling-hot start, batting .389 (7-for-18) with a pair of RBI through six contests. Yordan Alvarez went 2-for-5 with a solo homer on Thursday, powering the Astros to a 4-3 victory over the Yankees. Alvarez kicked off the scoring in the opening frame by taking Yankees starter Marcus Stroman deep for his eighth round-tripper of the season. It was the first time he’s left the yard since a two-homer explosion back on April 27, snapping a nine-game homerless drought. The 26-year-old superstar is batting .245/.325/.448 with 21 runs scored, eight homers and 19 RBI through 163 plate appearances. Pirates' Johan Oviedo: Set to resume throwing. Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander Johan Oviedo is coming close to the six-month mark in his rehab from Tommy John surgery, which is when he might get final clearance to resume throwing. The clearance could come next week and would be another step toward getting Oviedo ready to pitch next season. The 26-year-old underwent Tommy John surgery in early December of last year and will not be available to pitch for the Pirates at all in 2024. The Cuban right-hander made a career-high 32 starts for the Bucs in 2023 and went 9-14 with a 4.31 ERA (4.49 FIP) and 1.37 WHIP with 83 walks and 158 strikeouts in 177 2/3 innings pitched. Unsurprisingly, consistency was an issue for Oviedo in his first full season as a starter in the big leagues, and he's going to need to show better command when he returns in 2025. Luis Robert Jr. has resumed hitting. Chicago White Sox outfielder Luis Robert Jr. has resumed hitting after suffering a minor setback with his right hip flexor strain while rehabbing in Arizona. Manager Pedro Grifol says Robert is back up to running at 70 percent intensity, and the center fielder will continue to ramp up his activity. Robert is about a week away from taking the next step in his recovery, which could be a minor-league rehab assignment, and he'll play some backfield games before doing so. While the dynamic 26-year-old slugger could get into rehab games in mid-May, barring any setbacks, Chicago should be prepared to be without Robert until late May with the last-place ChiSox likely in no hurry to rush him back. Athletics sent OF Lázaro Armenteros outright to Triple-A Las Vegas. Armenteros went unclaimed on waivers after being designated for assignment earlier this week. The 24-year-old outfielder will remain with the Athletics as extra organizational fodder.

Cuban Players News for the 2024 Major League Baseball season. A compilation of several sources Bryan Ramos went 2-for-4 with a double, run scored and an RBI as the White Sox triumphed over the Rays on Wednesday evening. Ramos led off the fifth inning with a double off of Aaron Civale, then rode home on Paul DeJong’s go-ahead two-run blast. He then added an insurance run with an RBI single in the sixth inning that extended the White Sox’ lead to 3-1. He has impressed in his limited action thus far, hitting .357/.375/.429 with a pair of RBI and two runs scored in his first 14 at-bats. Giants placed OF Jorge Soler on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to May 5, with a right shoulder strain. The Giants had been taking things day-to-day with their 32-year-old slugger — who has been shelved since last weekend due to soreness in his right shoulder — but on Wednesday they felt it was time to throw in the towel and sit him down rather than playing short-handed any longer. Heliot Ramos was recalled in a corresponding move. Aroldis Chapman extends scoreless run. Chapman pitched one inning in Wednesday's 5-4 loss to the Angels. Chapman struggled with his command and threw 20 pitches - 9 of which were strikes - while walking one and striking out two. Chapman was scoreless for the fourth consecutive outing since April 25, when he allowed two runs to the Brewers. With 22 strikeouts and 14 walks over 12.0 innings, the left-hander has a 4.50 ERA and 1.58 WHIP. There is a problem with Yordan Alvarez's offensive game. At the beginning of this season, Yordan Alvarez is making all the Houston fans concerned. On Wednesday night, he went 0-for-5 with two strikeouts in the 9-4 loss to the Yankees. He has slashed a mere .193/.262/.316 in his last 15 games, with 2 home runs, 5 RBI, and 15 strikeouts. His last three games have seen him go 0-for-9. Adolis García notched two hits in a doubleheader. The Rangers and A's played a doubleheader this Wednesday, and Adolis García had two hits. As a whole, García went 2-for-9 with a double, an RBI, a walk, and four strikeouts. In his last seven games, he is hitting just .172/.212/.207 with no home runs, five RBI, and ten strikeouts, and has only one home run in his last 13 games. In the Orioles' win on Wednesday, Yennier Cano and Cionel Pérez pitched. Pérez and Cano pitched in the Beltway Series between the Orioles and the Nationals on Wednesday. After 12 innings, the Orioles won 7-6 and both Cuban pitchers recorded holds. Getting two outs, and allowing a walk and a single, Cano completed his ninth hold of the year, while Cionel relieved him to close the seventh inning, working 1 1/3 scoreless innings with a walk, for his third hold. Combined, Yandy Díaz and Randy Arozarena went 1-for-8. The White Sox beat the Rays 4-1, and Díaz and Arozarena combined for just one hit. Díaz went 1-for-4 with a run scored and two strikeouts, while Arozarena was 0-for-4 with two strikeouts. The two players are still searching for their best offensive form. One hit for Andy Pagés Wednesday. The Dodgers defeated the Marlins 3-1 on Wednesday, with Pagés going 1-for-3. He struck out once. In 15 of the 20 games he has played this season, he has collected at least one single a is slashing .308/.329/.526 with 4 home runs and 13 RBI. Athletics' Aledmys Díaz: Starting rehab assignment Díaz will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Las Vegas this weekend, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reported. Díaz ran the bases Wednesday, which was the final hurdle he needed to clear before playing in games. He's on the 60-day injured list and won't be eligible for activation until late May, so Díaz will be in store for an extended rehab assignment. Yasmani Grandal out of lineup Wednesday. Yasmani Grandal was not in the Pirates lineup on Wednesday against the Angels. Grandal got the day off behind the plate. He has just one hit across nine plate appearances so far this season.

Cuban Players News for the 2024 Major League Baseball season. A compilation of several sources Raisel Iglesias earned his ninth save of the season in Tuesday’s win over the Red Sox. Atlanta Braves closer Raisel Iglesias picked up his ninth save of the season in Tuesday's 4-2 win over the Red Sox. Iglesias came in to pitch the top of the ninth inning up by two and shut the door with a 1-2-3 outing with a strikeout. The 34-year-old veteran has not racked up the strikeouts as people would expect but has converted all but two save opportunities with a 1.88 ERA. It was a much-needed win over a beatable team after the Braves dropped all three games on the road against the Dodgers, as Iglesias is now 9-for-11 in save opportunities on the season. Randy Arozarena swatted a two-run homer on Tuesday in the Rays’ win over the White Sox. Arozarena lifted a no-doubter to left field off White Sox starter Michael Soroka in the third inning for his sixth big fly of the season. The 29-year-old stalwart got off to a painfully-slow start at the outset of the year, but has turned it on of late, homering three times in his last five contests since May 3. Andy Ibáñez: Four hits, two homers vs. Cleveland. Ibáñez went 4-for-4 with two home runs, a double, four total RBI and two additional runs scored in Tuesday's 11-7 win over the Guardians. Ibáñez led off the game with a solo homer off Logan Allen before breaking a 2-2 tie with a three-run shot in the second inning. It's the second multi-homer game of Ibanez's career, though he hadn't logged an extra-base hit through his first 13 games this season. The 31-year-old utility man is now slashing .364/.361/.576 with seven RBI and seven runs scored in 36 plate appearances. Ibáñez is now 8-for-18 since returning from the injured list on April 30th. Ibáñez could take on a platoon role at second base, as Colt Keith's struggled to start the campaign. In 17 career games versus the Guardians, Ibáñez is now hitting a ridiculous .441 (26-for-59) with nine extra-base hits and 15 RBI. Jorge Soler remained absent from the lineup for Tuesday’s contest against the Rockies. It’s a tough break for the team as Soler will wind up missing an extremely favorable matchup against Rockies righty Dakota Hudson at Coors Field. The 32-year-old righty has been out since last weekend due to right shoulder soreness. He remains day-to-day for now. It’s possible he’ll be available off the bench, but that remains to be seen. Adrián Morejón didn't allow a run on Tuesday. Morejón pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings in the Padres' 3-2 loss to the Cubs on Tuesday. He threw 30 pitches, 22 strikes, and allowed three hits while striking out two. For the season, he lowered his ERA to 2.08 while keeping an insane SO:BB ratio of 21:1. Athletics designated OF Lázaro Amenteros for assignment. The 24-year-old will hit waivers after a rough start at the minor league level in Las Vegas. Amenteros slashed just .133/.278/.250 with 37 strikeouts in his 72 plate appearances. Andy Pagés hitless on Tuesday. On Tuesday, Pagés played right field and struck out while going 0-for-3 for the Dodgers against the Marlins. In addition, he had one RBI. He is now slashing .307/.329/.533 for the year with 4 homers and 13 RBI. José Abreu with no timetable for return to majors. Astros manager Joe Espada said Tuesday that Abreu has "no timetable" to return to the major-league team, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reported. Abreu was optioned to the rookie-level Astros' Arizona Complex League affiliate last week after slashing just .099/.156/.113 in 77 plate appearances this season. He's been working on getting his swing right and is "doing very well," per Espada, although Abreu hasn't played in any official games yet. The 37-year-old will likely be assigned to a higher minor-league affiliate eventually as he works his way back to the big-league club. With Abreu in the minor leagues, Houston has been starting Jon Singleton at first base. Singleton is slashing .258/.329/.435 this season with three home runs and eight RBI. If Abreu does return to the MLB, he will need to prove he can produce offensively to be an everyday player for the Astros once again. Aledmys Díaz resumes hitting. Díaz has resumed taking batting practice but is not yet running the bases, MLB.com reported. The veteran began a light running program in mid-April, but as this latest report indicates, he hasn't progressed to carrying it out fully just yet. The fact Díaz is back to swinging a bat is certainly a positive, however, yet he appears to be at least a month away from his season debut given the expected length of the rehab assignment he'll require. The 33-year-old veteran utility man won't be guaranteed playing time when he's able to return, though, after disappointing with a .229/.280/.337 slash line in his first year with the team in 2023 in 109 games. Even if Díaz does find regular playing time when he's healthy, he'll have a low ceiling with minimal power and speed. Díaz hasn't hit more than 18 home runs in a single season in his eight-year big-league career. Víctor Mesa Jr. continues to hit well at Triple-A. Miami Marlins outfield prospect Victor Mesa Jr. continues to hit for Triple-A Jacksonville, now with at least one hit in 22 of 27 games in 2024 and slashing .316/.377/.526. The 22-year-old has five home runs on the season and is keeping strikeouts to a minimum with a 16.0% K%. After stealing 16 bases in 2023, Mesa finally stole his first base of the season on Sunday as well. The left-handed hitter appears to be knocking on the door of the majors, and there's no reason to keep him in the minors with the lack of production in front of him and Marlins management all but waving the white flag on the season already.