MLB 2024 | Yordan hit multiple HRs again; Cortés struggled vs the Cardinals; Pagés received an official promotion; Yuli Gurriel made his 2024 MLB debut; Yariel had a brief outing vs the Twins
- Ray Otero-Alonso
- Sep 2, 2024
- 6 min read
Cuban Players News for the 2024 Major League Baseball season. A compilation of several sources
Yordan Alvarez went 2-for-4 with two solo home runs in a 7-2 win over the Royals on Sunday.
Houston Astros designated hitter/outfielder Yordan Alvarez continued to mash on Sunday, going 2-for-4 with a pair of solo homers in a 7-2 win over the Kansas City Royals. Yordan turned on a curveball from Alec Marsh that was right on the corner low-and-in for his first longball.
Then muscled a hanging breaking ball out to left-center field for his second.
Yordan is coming off a three-homer game on Wednesday and came into this one with a slash line of .382/.481/.697 in August. This was his third multi-homer game in 18 contests and he’s hit in 12 of 13 games overall. He has 10 homers over his last month of play with a .357 batting average during that span. His power has lagged for much of the campaign but suddenly has a .257 ISO and .571 slugging percentage after his recent surge. He is blazing hot.
Néstor Cortés roughed up in no-decision.
Néstor Cortés escaped with a no-decision in Sunday's loss to the Cardinals, allowing five earned runs on nine hits and one walk while striking out two in four innings. Cortés struggled to keep the Cardinals offense in check, yielding four extra-base hits including a two-run home run to Luken Baker in the fourth. Fortunately for Cortés, the Yankees rallied from a five-run deficit to briefly tie the game, letting Cortés off with a no-decision. The 29-year-old had been excellent over his previous three starts, going 3-0 with a 0.44 ERA, 0.58 WHIP and 18:2 K:BB in 20.2 innings before Sunday's hiccup. Cortés has had an up and down season, registering a 4.08 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and 144:32 K:BB in 159 innings (28 starts). The southpaw will look to bounce back in his next start, currently scheduled for next weekend against the Cubs.
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. exits with injury.
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. was removed from Sunday's game against the Dodgers due to left calf tightness, Jody Jackson of Bally Sports Arizona reported. Gurriel walked gingerly off the field after hitting into a double play during the sixth inning, and he was immediately replaced in left field once the D-backs went on defense to start the seventh. The severity of his injury remains unknown, though he's slated to undergo imaging within the next few days. Any games missed for the 30-year-old outfielder would likely result in increased playing time for Randal Grichuk.
Andy Pagés officially receives promotion.
The Dodgers recalled Andy Pagés from Triple-A Oklahoma City ahead of Sunday's 14-3 loss to the Diamondbacks. He came off the bench and went 0-for-3 while playing six innings in right field. After the Diamondbacks put up eight runs in the second inning to effectively ice the game, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts waved the white flag, pulling Mookie Betts and multiple other key hitters from the lineup early. Pagés came on to replace Betts, but the rookie outfielder's opportunities are expected to be far more limited in September than they were earlier in the season, when he was essentially a full-time player for the Dodgers from mid-April through mid-August. Along with Betts and All-Star Teoscar Hernandez, trade-deadline acquisition Tommy Edman will likely handle an everyday role in the Los Angeles outfield, leaving little room for Pages.
Yuli Gurriel made his 2024 MLB debut with the Royals.
The Cuban veteran, Yulieski Gurriel, experienced an unforeseen situation when he made his debut in the 2024 Major League season at Minute Maid Park on Sunday. However, he did so not with the team that originally gave him his first opportunity at this level, but with Kansas City, as a recent acquisition by the Braves. Facing his former team, the Astros, Gurriel was duly honored. A promotional video highlighting his time with the Astros, where he won two World Series titles, was shown, followed by a warm ovation from the appreciative crowd that holds fond memories of the talented Cuban player.
Batting as the designated hitter and occupying the seventh spot in the lineup, Gurriel managed to go 1-for-3 in the game, with an RBI and a strikeout. This marks the ninth season in the Majors for the 40-year-old veteran. Gurriel, a seasoned infielder, entered the major leagues at 32 years old with the Astros following a successful 15-year career in Cuba's Serie Nacional. He spent the first seven seasons of his MLB journey with the Astros, where he maintained a respectable .284/.328/.448 slash line. In 2021, he had an outstanding season, earning the AL Gold Glove at first base and leading the league in batting average with an impressive .319. However, his performance has been lackluster since that remarkable season. In his last 913 plate appearances with the Astros and Marlins from the start of the 2022 season, Gurriel has struggled, hitting only .243/.294/.359 with a wRC+ of 82, falling below the expected standards for a Major League first baseman. Consequently, it was unsurprising when Gurriel had to accept a minor league contract with the Braves in April after failing to secure a spot on a big league roster in the offseason. Nevertheless, Gurriel excelled at the Triple-A level with the Braves' Gwinnett affiliate, posting an impressive slash line of .292/.378/.495 over 333 plate appearances, getting a chance with the Royals for the rest of the 2024 season.
Yosver Zulueta is being sent back to Triple-A.
On Saturday, the Reds reassigned Yosver Zulueta to Triple-A Louisville. This move came a day after Zulueta was designated as the Reds' 27th player for a doubleheader against the Brewers. Despite striking out three batters in 1.1 innings during the Reds' 14-0 loss in the second game of the doubleheader, the right-handed reliever allowed four earned runs on four hits and one walk.
Yoán Moncada will remain on a rehab assignment for an extended period.
It is anticipated that Yoán Moncada will participate in a minimum of five additional rehab games with Triple-A Charlotte before being reinstated from the 60-day injured list. Moncada has been sidelined since April due to an adductor strain and subsequent setback, which led to the interruption of his initial rehab assignment right after the All-Star break. Although he has not experienced any setbacks since commencing a new rehab assignment earlier this week, Moncada displayed signs of rustiness in his first game after a month and a half, going 2-for-10 with a double and two strikeouts.
Nationals' Orlando Ribalta Sent Down to Triple-A.
On Sunday, the Nationals decided to send Orlando Ribalta to Triple-A Rochester. Ribalta, who was recalled from Triple-A just four days ago, is now returning to the minor leagues after allowing two earned runs on four hits and a walk in one-third of an inning during Sunday's game against the Cubs. Despite struggling in the majors, the 26-year-old has performed well in Rochester, posting a 3.64 ERA and 1.27 WHIP over 29.2 innings.
Yariel Rodríguez pitched three scoreless innings on Sunday against the Twins, allowing only three hits and striking out three batters.
Recently, Yariel Rodríguez has been facing challenges when it comes to pitching deeper into games and dealing with opposing lineups for a third time. As a result, he was taken out of the game after just three innings, having faced only half the lineup twice. Despite not giving up any runs, he left the bases loaded in the first inning after using 32 pitches to get out of the situation. This marked his shortest outing since he pitched only two-thirds of an inning on July 29. The 27-year-old threw 57 pitches over three innings. While it was a short start, it was the first time in four games that Yariel did not allow a home run, although he has walked a batter in every appearance. His season stats include a 4.61 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, and a 69:33 K:BB ratio in 68.1 innings. Despite his recent impressive strikeout numbers in brief outings, they may not be sustainable for a starting pitcher, hinting at a potential move to a relief role in the future. His next game is scheduled for a road series against Atlanta.
Yandy Díaz, the first baseman for the Tampa Bay Rays, returned to the starting lineup on Sunday afternoon.
After leaving Friday's game early due to a knee injury and sitting out on Saturday, the 33-year-old was able to play on Sunday as the designated hitter in his usual leadoff position. He went 1-for-2 with two walks and a run, before being replaced by pinch runner Taylor Walls. Yandy had a productive August, recording an impressive .297/.353/.451 slash line with five doubles, three home runs, and an 8:16 BB:K ratio. Overall this summer, Yandy has maintained a solid .277/.335/.406 line with 12 home runs. Notably, he has displayed a remarkable 13.6% whiff rate, reflected in his 15.1% strikeout rate, which ranks among the best in the league.
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