MLB 2025 | Chapman reaches 350 career saves; Arozarena homers in third consecutive game; Soler reached 200th career HR; Quero with multi-hit game; Cano called up; Yanquiel debuted; Daysbel activated
- BaseballdeCuba
- Jul 3, 2025
- 7 min read
Cuban Players News for the 2025 Major League Baseball season. A compilation of several sources.
Aroldis Chapman secured his 350th career save by pitching a flawless ninth inning with a two-run advantage in Tuesday's suspended game against the Reds.
Aroldis Chapman has become the 14th pitcher to achieve 350 saves. If he secures nine more this year, he will surpass Troy Percival, and there is a slim possibility of him getting 18 and 19 saves to overtake Jeff Reardon and Jonathan Papelbon, respectively. Chapman has achieved 15 saves this year, holding a 3-2 record, a 1.29 ERA, and an impressive 51:10 strikeout-to-walk ratio over 35 innings.
Randy Arozarena hit a home run and contributed two RBIs, leading the Mariners to a 3-2 victory against the Royals on Wednesday.
Randy Arozarena had a strong performance, going 2-for-3 with a solo home run and a sacrifice fly in Wednesday's 3-2 victory against the Royals. Arozarena has been on a hot streak, hitting home runs in three consecutive games, which raises his season total to 12 homers, and achieving multiple hits in five straight games. Over the last 14 games, the outfielder has been impressive, going 21-for-56 (.375) with six doubles and four home runs.
Jorge Soler reached his 200th career home run.
Jorge Soler hit 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Wednesday's 8-3 defeat against Atlanta. Soler managed to reduce the Angels' significant deficit in the ninth inning by hitting a solo homer off Dylan Dodd to left-center field. This was Soler's ninth home run of the season and the 200th of his career, making him only the fifth Cuban player to hit over 200 home runs in MLB. He is the second player who participated in the Cuban National Series to reach this milestone since José D. Abreu accomplished it on April 6, 2021. Since returning from the 10-day injured list on Tuesday, Soler has gone 2-for-6 in two games, with both hits being home runs.
Cuban players with 200+ home runs in MLB
Rafael Palmeiro - 569 (*)
José Canseco - 462 (*)
Tony Pérez - 379
José D. Abreu - 263
Jorge Soler - 200
(*) Career affected by the use of performance-enhancing drugs
Bold - Current player on MLB rosters
Miguel Vargas extended hitless streak.
Miguel Vargas' no-hit streak extended to 15 consecutive at-bats Wednesday during the White Sox's 5-4 loss to the Dodgers. Vargas struck out once. With just one hit in his last 29 at-bats and 11 strikeouts, it's time for the White Sox to give the young Cuban a rest, as he'll need to figure out what he's doing wrong again this time.
Yandy Díaz had two hits in four at-bats, including a two-run homer, in the victory against the Athletics on Wednesday.
Yandy Díaz significantly contributed to the Rays' five-run sixth inning by hitting a two-run homer to left-center field off Mitch Spence. Yandy has been impressive at the plate over the past month, reaching base in 26 consecutive games since June 3. During this period, he has achieved an outstanding .404/.483/.641 slash line with 17 runs, four doubles, six home runs, and 15 RBIs in 118 plate appearances. He aims to maintain this momentum in June and has now accumulated 14 home runs and 49 RBIs for the season.
Yariel Rodríguez earns his tenth hold of the year.
Yariel Rodríguez pitched for the second consecutive night against the Yankees, this time in the Blue Jays' 11-9 victory. Yariel entered in the sixth inning with the Yankees rallying to within 8-7 and with runners on the corners, facing Giancarlo Stanton. Yariel closed out the inning by retiring Stanton into a popup to right field. He then pitched a clean seventh inning, leading off the inning with a walk but retiring the next three batters, including a strikeout of Paul Goldschmidt. His performance earned him his tenth hold of the year and lowered his ERA to 2.72 in 43 innings.
José Iglesias saw action in the doubleheader.
José Iglesias started as a regular in the second game of a doubleheader for the Padres against the Phillies. He went 1-for-4 with two strikeouts in the Padres' 5-1 loss. In a challenging season for the Cuban veteran, with a .227/.293/.258 slash line and an overall disappointing 2025 compared to his 2024 performance with the Mets, I don't think Iglesias has much time left with the roster as we approach the second half of the season.
Edgar Quero ends his slump.
On Wednesday against the Dodgers, Edgar Quero achieved three hits in three at-bats, drew a walk, and recorded an RBI. Quero's playing time has decreased, shifting from playing every other day to once every three days since late June. This change aligns with a slump at the plate, as he entered Wednesday's game having gone just 1-for-18 over his last seven games. However, he delivered a strong performance on Wednesday, with his RBI coming from a single in the third inning. Quero's season batting average is now .272/.344/.658.
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. with one hit Wednesday.
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. went 1-for-4 with a walk, a run scored, and a strikeout in the D-backs' 6-5 loss to the Giants. Gurriel has had a difficult season with a poor start, but after rebounding offensively in May, posting a .324/.381/.529 slash line with four home runs and 17 RBIs, he has continued to struggle offensively since June, as evidenced by his .217/.277/.350 slash line in his last 15 games.
Andy Pagés with his seventheen homer of the year.
Andy Pagés hit a home run and recorded an RBI, contributing to the Dodgers' narrow 5-4 victory over the Chicago White Sox. This marked Pagés' 17th home run of the season, bringing his RBI count to 58, while his season batting average remains at .293. In his last 10 games, Pagés has sustained a .293 average, going 12 for 41.
Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic indicates that Adolis García "might become a particularly intriguing trade candidate" this season.
Ken Rosenthal notes that the scarcity of right-handed hitters available for trade might make Adolis García an appealing choice, particularly because he remains under team control for the next season. With the Rangers losing their competitive edge, Adolis could become the team's most valuable trade asset. Rosenthal suggests that, “If he maintains his offensive performance, his trade value would be higher at the deadline than in the offseason or at the following year’s deadline.”
Braves activated RHP Daysbel Hernández from the 15-day injured list.
Daysbel Hernández was sidelined for just under a month due to inflammation in his right forearm. The 28-year-old is set to continue as a middle-inning reliever for Atlanta following his return. This Wednesday, he pitched a scoreless seventh inning in the Braves' 8-3 win over the D-backs. He gave up one hit but also recorded a strikeout.
The Orioles called up RHP Yennier Cano from Triple-A Norfolk.
Yennier Cano was given another opportunity in the Baltimore bullpen after being demoted due to an inconsistent performance with the Orioles. The 31-year-old has the potential to be a top high-leverage pitcher, but it is yet to be determined if he can regain that form. On Wednesday, he delivered a scoreless seventh inning, allowing one walk.
Yanquiel Fernández made his MLB debut.
Yanquiel was in right field and batted eighth for Wednesday's game against the Astros. Yanquiel made his big-league debut on Wednesday night in his second game since being promoted from Triple-A Albuquerque. He is the 29th Cuban player to participate in the Majors during the 2025 season and historically is the 398th overall. In his first MLB at-bat, the 22-year-old slugging outfielder hit a ground ball into the hands of pitcher Hunter Brown in the bottom of the second inning. He finished the night 0-for-3 with a strikeout and was replaced by a pinch hitter at the end of the game.
Luis Robert Jr. participated in batting practice and engaged in some pregame running on Wednesday.
According to MLB.com, Luis Robert Jr. engaged in running and batting practice before Wednesday's game against the Dodgers. Robert was placed on the injured list on Sunday, and his swift return to activity is encouraging. While there isn't an official timeline for his comeback, the White Sox are hopeful he can return shortly after completing his minimum time on the injured list.
The Astros moved OF Yordan Álvarez to the 60-day injured list.
This is simply a procedural action, as Yordan has already been out for two months due to a chip fracture in his right hand. The 28-year-old hitter can be reactivated at any time in the future. However, that won't happen soon, as he was sidelined on Monday after feeling renewed soreness in his hand while taking dry swings. He is set to see a specialist later this week to determine the next steps in his recovery process.
Yosver Zulueta was the 27th player for Wednesday’s doubleheader against the Red Sox.
Yosver Zulueta offered Cincinnati additional bullpen support for the second game of Wednesday's doubleheader at Fenway Park. However, he didn't see action. The 27-year-old right-handed pitcher has made just two relief appearances in the major leagues this season. Today he was sent back to the Minors.
The Orioles have signed infielder/outfielder José Barrero to a minor league deal.
There is a possibility for Barrero to join Baltimore's injury-depleted bench in the upcoming weeks, as utility player Jorge Mateo is expected to be out for two months due to a hamstring strain. The 27-year-old chose free agency over the weekend after being removed from St. Louis’ 40-man roster and going unclaimed through waivers.
Néstor Cortés pitched three shutout innings for Triple-A Nashville on Wednesday.
The left-hander struck out four, didn't walk anyone, and allowed only one hit, which was a bunt single. He delivered 25 strikes out of 37 pitches in an exceptionally efficient performance. Cortés will obviously require a few more starts to increase his pitch count, but the bigger question is his role. With Brandon Woodruff returning from the IL on Sunday, the Brewers currently have six starters in their major league rotation, and Logan Henderson is also at Triple-A. This could suggest that Cortés might be used in a trade if he continues to demonstrate good health and performance.
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