MLB 2023 | Oviedo earns fifth win, Arozarena & Díaz homered, García blasts 26th HR, Prieto to STL

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

Yohan Oviedo (Photo: Matt Freed/AP)

Aug 1

Johan Oviedo allowed one run over seven innings and picked up his fifth win of the season Tuesday.

Oviedo (5-11) earned the win Tuesday, allowing a run on six hits and two walks over seven innings against the Tigers. He struck out five. Oviedo's now won back-to-back starts, allowing just two runs over 13 innings, after going 0-8 with a 4.83 ERA in his previous 11 outings. Oviedo’s velocity was down slightly in this start but it did not matter. He allowed two bases on balls while scattering six hits. The only damage on Oviedo’s ledger came in the seventh inning. He allowed a lead-off single to Javier Báez before Akil Baddoo smacked a single into left field, allowing Báez to scamper home. The 25-year-old right-hander now sports a 4.42 ERA with a 1.34 WHIP and 111:51 K:BB across 22 starts (124.1 innings) this season. Oviedo's currently projected to face the Brewers this weekend in his next outing.

Randy Arozarena went 1-for-3 with a two-run homer as the Rays defeated the Yankees Tuesday night.

It was Arozarena’s 18th long ball of the season. The All-Star outfielder had been in a funk recently, slashing just 153/.223/.259 in the month of July but must have flipped a switch when he changed his calendar to August. On the season, the 28-year-old is hitting .257/.364/.440 and is easily positioning himself into a top ten-round draft pick next season.

Yandy Díaz homers in win. Díaz went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Tuesday's 5-2 win over the Yankees. Díaz has just three homers in his last 47 games after hitting 12 in his first 43 contests. Still, the 31-year-old first baseman has been productive with the bat, going 22-for-63 (.349) over his last 16 games. Diaz is now slashing .317/.402/.509 with 63 runs scored and 52 RBI across 396 plate appearances this season.

Cardinals acquired INF César Prieto and LHP Drew Rom from the Orioles for RHP Jack Flaherty.

Prieto signed with the Orioles as an amateur free agent out of Cuba in January of 2022. The 24-year-old infielder has been terrific in 364 plate appearances between Double-A Bowie and Triple-A Norfolk this season — slashing .349/.393/.475 with six homers, 49 RBI and seven stolen bases. With Paul DeJong shipped out of town and Brendan Donovan facing season-ending surgery, perhaps Prieto gets an opportunity with the Cardinals sooner rather than later.

Aroldis Chapman holds lead. Chapman allowed one hit and struck out three over one inning in to earn a hold in Tuesday's 2-0 win over the White Sox. Chapman made his first appearance in eight days, showing no rust in a 15-pitch (11 strikes) outing. The left-hander blew up in his previous appearance, giving up three runs and walking two in a loss to the Astros, but that's been the lone blemish since joining the Rangers in late June. Chapman has allowed five hits and two walks while striking out 17 over nine innings in a Texas uniform.

Adolis García blasts 26th homer. García went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Tuesday's 2-0 victory over the White Sox. García destroyed a seventh inning offering from Declan Cronin, sending it 418 feet to left field and extending the Texas lead. Since returning from a minor hand injury, the dynamic 30-year-old has hit safely in six consecutive contests, going 6-for-24 with two homers, five RBI and one steal during that stretch.

Dairon Blanco adds another steal. Blanco went 0-for-2 with a stolen base and a run scored in Tuesday's 7-6 extra-inning win over the Mets. Blanco is just 2-for-11 over his last seven games, but he's picked up two steals in that span and now has nine thefts this year. The outfielder still doesn't have an everyday path to playing time, as the Royals' outfield went mainly untouched during their sell-off at the trade deadline. Blanco has a .231/.286/.415 slash line with seven RBI, eight runs scored, six doubles and three triples through 70 plate appearances over 30 games.

Yordan Álvarez was absent from the Astros’ starting lineup for Tuesday night’s battle against the Guardians.

The 26-year-old slugger crushed a three-run homer in Monday’s game, but he took a seat on Tuesday as the Astros are cautiously easing him back into full-time action. Álvarez started all five games since being activated from the injured list last Wednesday, going 7-for-18 with a double, two homers, four RBI and five runs over that span. Yainer Díaz served as the Astros’ designated hitter on Tuesday and batted seventh against Gavin Williams and the Guardians.