MLB 2023 | García hits Grand Slam, Gurriel Jr. with walk-off win, Iglesias blown save, and more...

Major League Baseball (MLB) and other Cuban Players News for the 2023 season. A compendium from several sources

Adolis García (Photo: Texas Rangers)

May 14

Rangers' Adolis García: Caps scoring with grand slam. García went 3-for-5 with a home run, a double, five RBI and two runs scored in Sunday's 11-3 win over the Athletics. García hit an RBI single in the third inning and contributed to an eight-run eighth inning with a grand slam. Over six games since his last homer, García had gone 3-for-21 with just one RBI, so this was a good return to form. The outfielder is up to 10 long balls, 42 RBI, 30 runs scored, three stolen bases and six doubles while slashing .255/.318/.497 through 39 contests.

Miguel Vargas doubled and drove in a pair of runs on Sunday afternoon as the Dodgers shut out the Padres in Los Angeles.

Vargas provided some insurance in this one with his two-out, two-run double off of Brent Honeywell in the sixth inning -- extending the Dodgers' advantage to 4-0. The 23-year-old also drew a walk in the contest, finishing the afternoon 1-for-2 officially. On the season, he's now slashing .218/.333/.419 to go along with four homers, 21 RBI and a pair of stolen bases.

Lourdes Gurriel Jr. doubled in Christian Walker in the bottom of the ninth Sunday to give the Diamondbacks a 2-1 win over the Giants.

Tyler Rogers pitched a scoreless eighth in a tie game for the Giants, but sticking with him in the ninth didn't work out, as he walked Walker to lead off the inning and then immediately surrendered the game-ender. Gurriel has excelled for the Diamondbacks, hitting .308/.363/.519 with five homers in 146 plate appearances.

Raisel Iglesias took his first blown save and loss Sunday after giving up two runs in the ninth inning against the Blue Jays.

This one was discouraging. When Iglesias made his season debut last week after his shoulder issue, his velocity was basically right where it was last season. Today, though, he was down about two mph from there, even though he hadn't pitched in a few days. If he's not better next time out, it will be time to get really worried.

Yandy Díaz will undergo an MRI exam on his injured groin today.

The 31-year-old slugger noted that he's dealing with pain in his left groin -- and that it had already been bothering him for a few days, but he aggravated it further when he slipped at third base during Sunday's victory over the Yankees. They'll know more about the severity of the injury after Monday's exam, but the fact that the Rays are even getting the imaging done shows their level of concern. Fantasy managers in weekly formats should have an alternative option available in the event that Díaz winds up on the injured list.

White Sox's Luis Robert: Homers in third straight Sunday. Robert went 2-for-4 with a solo home run, a double and two runs scored in Sunday's 4-3 loss to the Astros. Robert had himself a series against the Astros over the weekend. He finished 6-for-11 and capped things off with a solo home run in the fourth and a double in the sixth. He's went long in three straight now and is slashing .422/.509/.933 with six homers, 14 RBI, 15 runs and a 5:11 BB:K over 13 games in May.

Tigers' Andy Ibáñez: Starting at third again Sunday. Ibáñez is starting at third base and batting sixth in Sunday's game against the Mariners. Ibáñez will be making his fifth straight start at the hot corner as he's become the primary option there ahead of the struggling Nick Maton. Ibáñez has done well at the plate with a .293 batting average and a home run across 14 games. The 30-year-old has yet to have sustained success at the MLB level, though it looks like he's getting a chance in Detroit to show what he can do.

Athletics' Aledmys Díaz: Logs two hits in return. Diaz (hamstring) went 2-for-4 in Sunday's 11-3 loss to the Rangers. Díaz missed just over two weeks with a hamstring strain. The first five hitters in the Athletics' lineup went a combined 0-for-19 on Sunday, but Díaz provided some solid batting from the No. 7 spot in the order. The versatile 32-year-old is slashing a meager .169/.237/.225 with one home run, six RBI, seven runs scored, a stolen base and two doubles through 97 plate appearances. Despite his lackluster numbers, he should be able to find fairly steady playing time.

Marlins' Yuli Gurriel: Returns to bench with Cooper back. Gurriel is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Reds, Christina De Nicola of MLB.com reports. Gurriel had started 10 of the Marlins' last 11 games at first base, slashing just .175/.227/.300 with a home run, three RBI and two runs over that stretch. He'll likely see his playing time take a significant hit moving forward after the Marlins reinstated Garrett Cooper (ear) from the 10-day injured list Sunday and reinstalled him as their everyday first baseman.

Reds' José Barrero: Expected to fade into bench role. Barrero is expected to cede the Reds' everyday shortstop duties to Matt McLain, who will be called up from Triple-A Louisville ahead of Monday's game against the Rockies, C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic reports. Even while McLain had been in the minors, Barrero was already beginning to lose traction as the Reds' clear-cut top shortstop, as both he and Kevin Newman had made three starts apiece at the position over the past six games. Neither Barrero nor Newman have impressed defensively at shortstop this season, and while McLain isn't regarded as a polished defender at the position either and probably profiles as a second baseman over the long haul, the Reds are hoping the toolsy 23-year-old can provide an offensive upgrade over Barrero (.618 OPS in 104 plate appearances) and Newman (.596 OPS in 99 plate appearances). Newman is likely to remain a utility infielder once McLain's call-up is official, and though Barrero has a minor-league option remaining, the Reds may prefer to keep him on hand as insurance in center field while TJ Friedl is day-to-day with an oblique injury.