MLB 2023 | Oviedo scuffles vs. Reds, Blanco with two steals, J.P. Martínez is Cuban No. 387 in MLB
- Ray Otero-Alonso
- Aug 12, 2023
- 3 min read
Major League Baseball (MLB) and other Cuban Players News for the 2023 season. A compendium from several sources
Aug 11
Johan Oviedo allowed six runs over five innings Friday in a loss to the Reds.
All-or-nothing Oviedo struck again; he’s given up five runs in four of his last 10 outings and a total of six runs in the remaining six. Oviedo (6-12) absorbed the loss Friday versus the Reds, allowing six runs on five hits and two walks in five innings. He struck out four. Things looked ominous right away for the big right-hander, as the first four batters of the game reached and three of them scored. Oviedo looked like he might settle in after that in retiring 10 of the next 11, but then light-hitting catcher Luke Maile clubbed a three-run shot in the fourth inning. He needed 93 pitches to cover his five frames. This performance adds to his season-long struggles, as he now has a 4.42 ERA and a 1.31 WHIP in 24 games started. Despite a solid strikeout rate of 8.0 K/9 and a respectable 2.16 strikeout-to-walk ratio, Oviedo's 4.20 FIP suggests that he may have been somewhat unlucky this season. Nonetheless, his 6 wins and 12 losses indicate that he has had difficulty finding consistent success on the mound.
Dairon Blanco stole two bases on Friday in the Royals’ win over the Cardinals.
The amazing part here is that Blanco didn’t enter the contest until coming off the bench in the eighth inning as a pinch-runner. The 30-year-old speedster is up to 14 stolen bases already in just 38 games this season, and will continue to serve as a reserve outfielder and pinch-running specialist.
J.P. Martínez made his MLB debut. A 2-1 victory over the Giants was Julio Pablo Martínez's MLB debut for the Rangers on Friday. It was his first appearance in MLB as Cuban No. 387. His 0-for-3 game included a walk and a strikeout. Texas selected Martínez's contract from Triple-A Round Rock on Friday. Martínez has put up an excellent .311/.435/.558 batting line with 12 homers and 36 steals over 72 games this summer in the Rangers' minor-league system, but the 27-year-old outfielder might only be up for a brief cup of coffee while Travis Jankowski is away on paternity leave.
Aroldis Chapman with another hold. Chapman walked one and struck out three over a scoreless eighth inning to record his 13 hold in Friday's 2-1 win over the Giants. Chapman recorded a fifth straight hold, all which have come with him pitching the eighth inning. Chapman's been brilliant since being acquired from Kansas City in late June, posting a 26:4 K:BB over 13 innings. The lone blemish was a blown save July 24 against division rival Houston.
Jorge Soler finished 0-for-4 and struck out twice against the Yankees on Friday.
Soler does have a couple of homers this week, but he’s batting just .209/.279/.363 in his last 23 games. The Marlins recently moved him into the leadoff spot, but they probably should have gone in the other direction with him.
Yankees placed LHP Nestor Cortés on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to August 8, with a left rotator cuff strain.
Cortés heads back to the injured list just a few days after returning from the same injury issue. The 28-year-old southpaw was scheduled to start Saturday’s game against the Marlins.
Adrián Morejón: Expected to be out until August 14.
Morejón went on the injured list July 16 due to a right knee strain. It was the second significant injury of the season for the southpaw, who missed over two months to start the campaign with a left elbow strain. Morejón has been limited to eight big-league appearances this season, allowing seven earned runs and posting an 8:5 K:BB over nine innings.
Luis Robert Jr. was not in the White Sox’ lineup for Friday’s game against the Brewers.
No surprise here after Luis Robert Jr. was removed from Wednesday’s game against the Yankees with a sprained right pinky finger. X-rays came back negative for any fractures and he’s officially day-to-day.
José Abreu remained out of the Astros’ lineup for Friday’s series opener against the Angels.
He continues to battle with lower-back discomfort. Astros manager Dusty Baker said an MRI showed nothing "too serious". However, this is bad news for Abreu, who saw his replacement, Jon Singleton, going 3-for-4 with two homers and 5 RBI in an 11-3 victory against the Angels.
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