Cuban Players News for the 2024 Major League Baseball season. A compilation of several sources
Andy Pagés went 4-for-5 with the game-winning single in the 11th inning to give the Dodgers a 4-3 win over Atlanta on Friday.
Pagés put an end to that chapter, with the chapter being an 11-inning affair in this case. The rookie outfielder has his first ever four-hit game, and one of those was a walk-off single in the 11th off Jesse Chavez. Although Pagés has limited experience, his bat is still worth considering, at least for now. In 15 games for the Dodgers, he has slashed .333/.354/.567 with 3 HR and 11 RBI.
Randy Arozarena got on base four times Friday.
Arozarena went 1-for-2 with three walks, a solo home run and a second run scored in Friday's 10-8 win over the Mets. The 29-year-old outfielder has had a brutal start to 2024 that includes what would be a career-high 29.1 percent strikeout rate and a career-low .455 OPS, but Arozarena came through with a solid performance in a wild win. His fourth-inning long ball off Dedniel Nunez was his fourth homer in 32 games to go along with four steals, and Arozarena has contributed a respectable 14 runs and 15 RBI despite his woeful .145/.242/.265 slash line.
Eighth hold for Yennier Cano.
In a 3-0 win over the Reds, Yennier Cano retired both batters faced in the seventh inning. It was Cano's eighth hold of the season, while he lowered his ERA to 2.16. With 16 2/3 innings pitched, Cano has a 16:4 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
Yandy Díaz with a multihit game.
Yandy Díaz, like Arozarena, also played better this Friday against the Mets as Tampa Bay beat them 10-8. As a result, Yandy went 2-for-5 with two RBIs, recording his first multi-hit game since April 24 against Detroit. It will be his goal to improve his current streak, which has him batting .192/.323/.231 without a home run and with five strikeouts in his last seven games.
Another blown save for Raisel Iglesias.
Friday, Iglesias blew the save against the Dodgers, allowing one run on one hit and no walks in an inning. He did not strike out. With the score tied at three runs, Iglesias was given an extra run of cushion in the tenth inning, but he allowed Shohei Othtani's single that brought Chris Taylor home. It was his first blown save opportunity since April 24 against the Marlins.
A negative streak ends for Yordan Alvarez.
On Friday, Yordan Alvarez broke a streak of 18 at-bats without a hit with a 3-1 game in a 5-3 Houston victory over Seattle. After going 0-for-1 in his first at-bat, Alvarez hit a double in the fourth inning and walked in the seventh. For the first time since April 27, Alvarez had an extra-base hit.
Friday, Lourdes Gurriel Jr. went hitless.
In a challenging start to the season, Gurriel Jr. continues to struggle. In the D-backs' 7-1 loss to the Padres, the Cuban outfielder went 0-for-4. Gurriel has had a disastrous offensive line of .033/.033/.067 in his last seven games after going 1 for 30 with five strikeouts. His slash line this year is .238/.283/.400 with 5 HR and 22 RBI.
Pirates activated C Yasmani Grandal from the 10-day injured list.
The 35-year-old backstop is ready to make his Pirates’ debut after recovering from plantar fasciitis in his right foot. With Henry Davis optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis on Friday, Grandal will share the load behind the plate with Joey Bart for the foreseeable future.
