Cuban Players News for the 2024 Major League Baseball season. A compilation of several sources
In a game against the Guardians on Monday, Bryan Ramos contributed a two-run homer in a loss for the White Sox.
Bryan Ramos made a 1-for-3 performance on Monday, hitting a two-run home run in a defeat against the Guardians. Ramos stood out as a positive note in Chicago's loss, hitting a two-run home run to left field in the eighth inning for his inaugural major-league homer.
Prior to this game, the 22-year-old had struggled against major-league pitching, with a batting average of just .196 and one walk in 48 plate appearances. Ramos has displayed power potential, hitting as many as 22 home runs in a single minor-league season (2022), and could see increased playing time as the White Sox focus on the future. Despite his current .204/.216/.306 slash line over 49 at-bats, Ramos is highly regarded as one of the top prospects in the Chicago system. Even though he posted a modest .263/.339/.416 line in 64 Triple-A games this season, Ramos is considered a top prospect by FanGraphs and deserves an opportunity to start regularly as the season progresses.
Aroldis Chapman secured the save against the Marlins on Monday, allowing one run in the ninth inning.
Despite giving up one run on two hits and a walk with two strikeouts in one inning, Aroldis Chapman managed to navigate through a challenging ninth inning with the tying and go-ahead runs on base before ultimately getting out of the jam. The 36-year-old pitcher, who had a rough outing just days before surrendering four runs, has now accumulated three saves in his last five appearances after taking over as the team's main closer from David Bednar. His seventh save of the season marked his 328th career save, surpassing Fernando Rodney's record of 327 and moving him up to 18th place on the all-time list. While currently serving as the Pirates' closer, Chapman's performance has shown signs of decline, evident in his elevated 4.09 ERA and 1.42 WHIP. Although he maintains a high strikeout rate at 14.6 K/9, his inconsistency in crucial moments may raise some concerns.
Yandy Díaz had another game with multiple hits.
In Monday's 2-1 defeat against the Phillies, Yandy Díaz recorded a 2-for-4 performance. Despite his struggles at the plate and a .202/.272/.240 slash line in April, Yandy's consistent impressive displays continue. His two hits on Monday marked his 42nd multi-hit game of the season, elevating his average to .281 (146 for 520) for the year. Currently, he ranks 8th in all of baseball with a hit percentage of 72.5%.
Yasmani Grandal started on Monday, but likely to see reduced playing time.
Yasmani Grandal started as a catcher and batted seventh in Monday's matchup against the Marlins. Despite being part of the starting lineup on Monday, Grandal is anticipated to take on a backup role at catcher after the Pirates brought back their top catcher Joey Bart from the injured list on Friday. He went 0-for-4 with a strikeout in the game. Grandal has been hitting .333/.556/.444 in the last seven games, but his season OPS of .668 falls short of Bart's .848.
Yulieski Gurriel did not get any hits on Monday.
On Monday, the Royals suffered a 10-4 defeat against the Yankees, and Yulieski Gurriel had a hitless performance at the plate. Although the experienced Cuban first baseman made a strong defensive play at first base in the fifth inning on an Austin Well grounder, he went 0-for-3 with a strikeout and left a runner in scoring position stranded. Later in the game, he was substituted by pinch hitter M.J. Meléndez. Gurriel's current slash line now reads .250/.286/.333, including a double and four RBIs in the 5 games he has played for the Royals since joining the team on September 1.
According to White Sox GM Chris Getz, Yoán Moncada will remain with Triple-A Charlotte for the time being.
Moncada, who has been sidelined since April due to an adductor strain, has played eight games for Charlotte, primarily at third base, and has posted a 9-for-26 record with a home run and three doubles. The White Sox's current plan is to have Moncada continue his rehabilitation until he feels ready to return. Given that Moncada is approaching free agency after the season, the White Sox seem to be waiting out the remainder of his contract. Miguel Vargas is expected to continue receiving regular playing time at third base for the rest of the season. However, Vargas has been struggling with a .114 batting average since joining the team in the trade to the South Side.
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