MLB 2025 | Gurriel Jr. hit his 8th home run; Chapman secured his seventh save; Yandy had another multihit game; Cano suffered another loss; Yordan continues to struggle with swinging a bat
- BaseballdeCuba
- May 20, 2025
- 5 min read
Cuban Players News for the 2025 Major League Baseball season. A compilation of several sources.
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. hit a two-run home run in the Diamondbacks' decisive victory against the Dodgers on Monday.
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. went 1-for-4 with a two-run homer, a walk, and an additional run scored in Monday's 9-5 victory over the Dodgers. Gurriel extended the Diamondbacks' lead to 5-0 with one of two home runs in the third inning. The outfielder has been performing well recently, going 9-for-27 (.333) with five extra-base hits and a 6:3 BB:K ratio over his last seven games. This surge has brought his season stats to a .227/.271/.442 slash line, with eight homers, 29 RBI, 19 runs scored, 11 doubles, one triple, and a stolen base over 44 games. Gurriel typically hits for a higher average, having never finished below .261 in a full season, so it's reasonable to expect his performance to continue improving, especially since he's achieving a career-best 12.2 percent strikeout rate.
Aroldis Chapman pitched a scoreless ninth inning to secure his seventh save on Monday against the Mets.
Aroldis Chapman secured the save in Monday's 3-1 victory over the Mets, giving up one hit and no walks during a scoreless inning with one strikeout. The experienced left-hander efficiently retired the side in seven pitches, six of which were strikes, achieving his 342nd career save. Chapman remains a dependable source of strikeouts (13.0 K/9) despite facing challenges with walks (3.5 BB/9). Over 18 innings, the 37-year-old now holds a 2.00 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, and a 26:7 K:BB ratio while maintaining a perfect 7-for-7 record in save opportunities.
Miguel Vargas didn't get any hits on Monday.
Miguel Vargas went 0-for-4 in Monday's 5-1 loss to the Mariners. Vargas played third base and was third in the batting order. Despite this hitless outing, his second in the past three games, over his last 16 games in May, Vargas has achieved five multi-hit games, going 16-for-58 (.276) with five home runs, four doubles, and twelve RBIs. The infielder currently holds a .239/.321/.411 slash line with six home runs, 21 RBIs, 20 runs scored, 10 doubles, and one stolen base in 184 plate appearances.
Yandy Díaz has achieved another game with multiple hits.
Yandy Díaz hit 2-for-4 during the Rays' 4-3 defeat against the Astros. He contributed his 9th double of the year and also crossed the plate for a run. This marked Yandy's 11th multihit game of the season. He is certainly moving in a positive direction and currently holds a slash line of .249/.297/.401 with six home runs and 24 RBIs.
Luis Robert Jr. collects one hit.
On Sunday, Luis Robert broke a three-game hitless streak and now has hits in consecutive games. However, he has only reached base in three of his last eight games. This season, he's batting just .186 and has shown little improvement as the season has progressed. While his power is evident, he has only hit 5 home runs this season. The player moves well in center field and still leads the Majors in steals with 17. However, it's unlikely people expect him to replicate his 2023 numbers—36 doubles, 38 homers, and 80 RBIs, all personal records. At the very least, fans hope to see a more mature player with better plate discipline, given his chase rate of 29.0% and a strikeout rate of 28.9%.
Yennier Cano took another loss.
Yennier Cano suffered another defeat on Monday in a challenging 5-4 loss to the Brewers. The Orioles recently dismissed their manager following a disastrous 15-28 start to the season, but the changes have yet to yield results. Cano has been one of the pitchers contributing to the team's struggles. The Cuban reliever, who did not allow any runs in his first 12 appearances this season, is now enduring a rough month of May, giving up nine earned runs in just 6 1/3 innings. Yesterday, after the Orioles rallied to tie the game at 4-4 by scoring three runs in the seventh inning, Cano was unable to maintain the tie in the eighth. He entered the game and, after securing two quick outs, issued a costly two-out walk to Brice Turang. Turang then stole second base and scored minutes later on William Contreras' single. The Orioles couldn't bounce back. It was another poor performance for Cano, who now has four losses this month.
Randy Arozarena hitless on Monday.
Randy Arozarena went 0-for-4 with one strikeout in Monday's 5-1 win over the White Sox. He also made an impressive catch in left field, which went to review but was confirmed to end the 7th inning. With 21 RBIs, 21 runs scored, 6 home runs, and 9 successful steals in 9 attempts, the 30-year-old Cuban, who is now a naturalized Mexican, brings significant value. He is committed to playing for Mexico for the second time in the upcoming World Baseball Classic.
Andy Ibáñez recorded one hit on Monday.
Andy Ibáñez was not in the starting lineup on Monday during the Tigers' 11-4 defeat against the Cardinals. He came into the game as a pinch hitter and, in his second at-bat in the ninth inning, hit his third double of the season, earning his 13th RBI of the year. Overall, he went 1-for-2 with a run scored. Ibáñez remains in a limited role, slashing .254/.329/.388.
Jorge Soler and Yoán Moncada with no hits on Monday.
Jorge Soler went hitless in four at-bats, striking out twice on Monday during the Angels' 4-3 victory over the A's. Soler is now hitless in his last 8 at-bats and has a 1-for-17 record over his past 5 games, without any home runs or RBIs. His current slash line is .213/.289/.375 with 6 home runs and 16 RBIs. He has already accumulated 53 strikeouts, ranking fifth in the American League.
In the same game, Yoán Moncada had no hits in three at-bats, maintaining his 13 RBIs for the season. His current slash line is .215/.346/.446, with 3 home runs and 11 runs scored this year.
Yordan Álvarez mentioned on Monday that his right hand is improving, although he still feels soreness when swinging a bat.
Yordan Álvarez, speaking through an interpreter, mentioned that he had been playing despite a persistent hand issue, but it eventually became necessary to stop due to inflammation. The 27-year-old star was expected to come back from the injured list last week, but that clearly won't occur if he continues to experience soreness or discomfort. His status should become clearer in the next few days, but it doesn't appear his return is imminent.
Andy Pagés was not in the lineup on Monday.
Andy Pagés was not in the lineup for Monday's game against the Diamondbacks. With Teoscar Hernández returning from the 10-day injured list, the Dodgers opted for Michael Conforto, Hyesong Kim, and Teoscar in the outfield. Pagés, who hadn't taken a day off in a month, might just be getting some routine rest rather than facing a significant decrease in playing time now that Teoscar is back. Over his last 24 games, Pagés has slashed .356/.375/.634 with seven home runs.
Edgar Quero took a break on Monday.
Edgar Quero was not included in the lineup for Monday's game against the Mariners. He took a break after starting each of the White Sox's previous three games, with the last two as catcher. He came into the game late as a pinch hitter and ended up 0-for-1 with a strikeout.
The Athletics have advanced RHP prospect Luis Morales to Triple-A Las Vegas.
This season at Double-A Midland, Luis Morales has been exceptional, boasting an impressive 2.98 ERA and a 53/15 K/BB ratio over 42 1/3 innings across eight starts. The 22-year-old top pitching prospect, known for his powerful fastball/slider combination, is not yet fully developed but has a genuine chance to succeed at the highest level.
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