MLB 2023 | Oviedo fans 8 in loss, L. Robert adds homer #17, complications aside Cano went scoreless

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

Luis Robert (Photo: Duane Burleson/Getty Images)

Jun 15

Johan Oviedo was knocked out in the fifth inning against the Cubs on Thursday, allowing four runs in 4 1/3 innings in a loss.

Oviedo (3-6) took the loss Thursday, allowing four runs on eight hits and one walk over 4.1 innings against the Cubs. He did strike out eight. Most of the damage came in the fifth inning, where Oviedo gave up three hits to his first four batters faced before getting yanked after 100 pitches. A Nico Hoerner stolen base was cashed in by Ian Happ in the fourth inning, and Oviedo was pulled after allowing three of the first four hitters to reach in the fifth inning. The bullpen immediately allowed both inherited runners he left with to score. Despite a pedestrian 4.16 ERA on the season, Oviedo has a 2.79 ERA and 38 strikeouts in 38 2/3 IP over his last seven starts. Oviedo's scheduled to have a rematch with the Cubs next Tuesday.

White Sox's Luis Robert: Swats solo shot. Robert went 1-for-4 with a solo home run and a walk against the Dodgers in an extra-innings loss Thursday. Robert and Eloy Jiménez pushed Chicago to a fast start by hitting back-to-back homers in the first inning, though Robert would go on to strike out in three of his final four plate appearances. The performance is a pretty accurate encapsulation of the outfielder's play of late -- he's gone deep three times in his past four games but has also struck out in one-third of his plate appearances over that stretch. Robert has already established a career-high mark with 17 homers on the campaign, though both his .264 batting average and 29.5 percent strikeout rate are each his worst since his rookie season.

Yennier Cano was scoreless on Thursday. Even though Cano hasn't looked the same as he did earlier in the season, he managed to pitch an inning on Thursday in which he gave up three hits, a walk, and one strikeout, but did not surrender any runs. In the seventh inning, Cano allowed a hit and a walk before retiring George Springer for the third out. In the next inning, with one out, he allowed two singles and was replaced by Felix Bautista with the tying run on second base, despite striking out Whit Merrifield for the second out of the inning. The 29-year-old now has a 0.80 WHIP and 34:5 K:BB over 35.0 innings. His ratios make him great asset even though he is not first in line for saves since he should be the next guy up whenever Bautista rests.

Golden sombrero for Lourdes Gurriel Jr.

He struck out in all four at-bats on an rather quiet afternoon for Lourdes Gurriel Jr. He is still having a great season. Gurriel owns a .285/.335/.516 slash line this season, homering ten times in 58 games. However, in his last seven games he is been slashing .111/.172/.296 with a homer, 6 RBI, and 11 strikeouts.

Miguel Vargas had no hits on Thursday.

In a 5-4 victory against the White Sox, Vargas went 0-for-4 with 2 strikeouts and a walk. His eye has been his biggest strength in his first full major-league season, collecting 32 walks in 64 games. He is slashing just .212/.305/.376 with 6 homers and 29 RBI.

José Abreu went hitless against the Nationals.

Abreu went 0-for-4 with 3 strikeouts Thursday in a 4-1 loss to the Nationals in extra innings. For the veteran first baseman whose bat was rattling lately, it was a step back. He is now slashing .230/.285/.315 with 4 homers and 33 RBI this year.

Yasmani Grandal with two more hits in Thursday's loss. Grandal went 2-for-5 with a strikeout in Thursday's 5-4 loss to the Dodgers. Grandal has gone 10-for-34 (.294) in June with a homer and 3 RBI. He is hitting .271/.330/.410 with five home runs, 18 RBI and 15 runs scored over 206 plate appearances.

Yandy Díaz was out Thursday. Arozarena went hitless. Díaz was out of the lineup for Thursday's game in Oakland. Díaz appears to be receiving a routine maintenance day in the series finale after he reached base four times in Wednesday's win. In the same game, Randy Arozarena went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts.

Adolis García had two hits on Thursday. García went 2-for-5 with a double (13) a run scored and a RBI in Thursday's 5-3 loss to the Angels. García collected his RBI #55 of the year in 67 games. He is slashing .258/.323/.484 with 15 home runs, 25 walks and 49 runs scored this year.

White Sox placed INF Yoán Moncada on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to June 14, with lower back inflammation.

Moncada has been bothered by the issue all season and previously required a stint on the IL from from April 10-May 12. He's struggled since returning and the White Sox will have to hope that some extended rest does the trick. It's much too soon to speculate on a timetable for his return this time.