MLB 2025 | Iglesias earns a save; Arozarena with hamstring problem; Cano takes the loss; Quero delivers crucial hit; Luis Robert Jr. adds two more steals; Adolis achieves 400 RBIs; Yordan improving
- BaseballdeCuba
- May 5, 2025
- 6 min read
Cuban Players News for the 2025 Major League Baseball season. A compilation of several sources.
Raisel Iglesias slammed the door on the Dodgers on Sunday night, working a scoreless ninth inning to preserve a one-run advantage.
Iglesias had to tangle with the bottom of the Dodgers’ lineup this time and immediately made things interesting by allowing a leadoff single to Andy Pages. Pinch-runner Hyeseong Kim then swiped second base and advanced to third with one out as Drake Baldwin dropped the third strike to Will Smith and had to throw him out at first base. Not to worry though, as Iglesias rallied to punch out Miguel Rojas and then got Austin Barnes on a swinging third strike to end it. The 35-year-old hurler now holds a 4.85 ERA and a 15/2 K/BB ratio over 13 innings on the season to compliment his six saves.
Randy Arozarena left yesterday's game due to a hamstring injury.
Mariners manager Dan Wilson mentioned that Arozarena was taken out of Sunday's 8-1 defeat against the Rangers before the bottom of the sixth inning due to "a little bit of a hamstring issue," but assured that the injury is "nothing serious," according to Adam Jude of The Seattle Times. Arozarena, who began the game in left field, was replaced by Rhylan Thomas after hitting a single in his last at-bat, ending the day 1-for-3. Jude noted that Arozarena appeared to tweak his hamstring while rounding first base on the single, though he managed to remain in the game temporarily. By the time Arozarena was removed in the following half-inning, Seattle was trailing by five runs, which supports Wilson's suggestion that the outfielder's early departure was a precautionary measure. The Mariners are set to play again on Monday in Sacramento against the Athletics.
Yandy Díaz returns to form with a game featuring multiple hits.
Yandy Díaz snapped a 9 at-bat hitless streak by going 3-for-6 in the Rays' 7-5 victory over the Yankees. Díaz broke his hitless streak in the first inning with a single to right field off Will Warren and went on to gather two more hits. This marked his ninth multi-hit game of the season and his fourth with three hits. He is currently slashing .305/.382/.441 with a home run and 9 RBIs over his last 15 games. This is what the veteran Cuban infielder consistently provides at this level: year-round reliability.
Yennier Cano was credited with the loss.
In an 11-6 loss to the Royals on Sunday, Yennier Cano was credited with the defeat. Cano came in as a reliever during the seventh inning with the score tied at 5-5 and allowed solo home runs to Bobby Witt Jr. and Vince Pasquantino. Overall the reliever allowed three hits and two earned runs while striking out one batter. These were the first two runs Cano has allowed this season, who has now pitched 11 2/3 innings with a K:BB ratio of 10:1 and an ERA of 1.54.
Edgar Quero secures the decisive run.
The White Sox defeated the Astros 5-4 on Sunday in a rain-shortened game (7 innings), with Edgar Quero returning to the lineup and delivering the decisive RBI. In the sixth inning with two outs, Luis Robert Jr. tied the game with an RBI single, stole second base, and scored the go-ahead run on a single by Edgar Quero. Quero finished the game with another multi-hit performance, going 2-for-4 with the crucial RBI and a run scored. It was his fifth game with multiple hits out of 16 games this year. The talented 22-year old switch hitter is now slashing .340/.446/.404 with three doubles and 8 RBIs for the season.
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. on base again.
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. did not get a hit in his three at-bats during Sunday's D-backs win 11-9 over the Phillies. Nonetheless, Gurriel reached base twice through walks, struck out once, and scored a run. In 2025, Gurriel has a batting line of .208/.238/.392, with 5 home runs and 18 RBIs for the D-backs.
Luis Robert Jr. added two more steals.
Luis Robert Jr. went 2-for-3 with two steals, an RBI, and a walk in Sunday's rain-shortened 5-4 win over the Astros. With two outs in the sixth inning, Luis Robert Jr. tied the game with an RBI single, then stole second base and scored the go-ahead run on Edgar Quero's single, leading the Chicago White Sox to a comeback victory over the Houston Astros. The White Sox center fielder surpassed Oneil Cruz to lead the MLB in stolen bases during this game, bringing his season total to 15. Robert stole second base in the first inning and added another steal in the sixth. The 27-year-old has been aggressive on the basepaths over his last eight games, successfully stealing 8 out of 9 attempts while hitting .345 (10-for-29). In 136 total plate appearances, Luis Robert has a slash line of .195/.313/.354 with five home runs, 19 runs scored, 15 RBIs, and a 20:43 BB:K ratio.
The issues with Yariel Rodríguez persist.
Yariel Rodríguez pitched 1 1/3 innings in relief during the Blue Jays' 5-4 loss to the Guardians on Sunday. He gave up one run, walked one batter, and struck out another, using 25 pitches for his outing. This was another subpar performance for the Cuban reliever, who has struggled to consistently deliver strong performances at the MLB level. Toronto could be a contender for the 2025 postseason, but they will need more from relievers like Yariel or might end up sending him to the Minors to address his issues before making a more drastic decision.
José Iglesias hitless again.
José Iglesias went hitless once more in Sunday's 4-0 victory over the Pirates. Iglesias finished the game 0-for-4 with two strikeouts. This marked his third consecutive game without a hit, extending his streak to 13 at-bats without a single. Iglesias began the season strongly for the Padres, posting a .286/.342/.343 slash line with 10 RBIs in April. However, he has not recorded any hits in May, bringing his batting line down to .241/.300/.289.
Miguel Vargas contributes with a hit.
Miguel Vargas went 1-for-4 in a 5-4 victory against the Astros on Sunday. Vargas has now recorded at least one hit in 11 of his last 13 games, raising his batting average to .220 (26-for-118) for the season. His offensive improvements have been attributed to a slight change in his batting stance. Marcus Thames, the hitting coach for the White Sox, assisted Vargas in adjusting his stance at the plate by raising his hands slightly for a better approach to pitches. Before this adjustment, Vargas was hitting .139/.236/.203, but he is now batting .314/.407/.471 with 2 home runs and 6 RBIs in his last 15 games.
Adolis García achieves 400 RBIs in MLB.
Adolis García ended an 11-at-bat hitless streak by going 2-for-4 during the Rangers' 8-1 victory over the Mariners on Sunday. He hit a single in his first at-bat during the second inning and later, with the bases loaded, delivered a two-RBI single in the third inning, a frame where the Rangers scored six runs. With these two RBIs, Adolis reached 400 and 401 at the MLB level.
Jorge Soler went hitless.
Jorge Soler had no hits in three at-bats during Sunday's 13-1 defeat to the Tigers by the Angels. He did manage to draw a walk. Recently, Soler has been hitting more consistently, recording hits in 20 of his last 28 games this season, with four of those being multi-hit games. The 33-year-old veteran still displays his power, having hit 6 home runs this year and needing just 3 more to reach 200 in his MLB career.
Yosver Zulueta pitched a scoreless inning.
In his second appearance since being recalled by the Reds on May 1, Yosver Zulueta pitched a scoreless inning. This was against the Nationals, finishing the ninth inning in a 4-1 defeat. Zulueta did not allow any walks and struck out one batter. Over two outings this year, he has a 3.86 ERA.
Andy Pagés' hitless streak has been broken.
Andy Pagés ended a 13 at-bat hitless streak during Sunday's 4-3 Dodgers loss to the Braves. Pagés had been hitless in 10 at-bats, and after going 0-for-3 with a strikeout in the game, he finally secured a single against fellow countryman Raisel Iglesias at the start of the ninth inning. His current batting average for May is .083, following a strong .325/.388/.597 in April. Hopefully, this single will get him back in track offensively.
Yordan Álvarez remained absent from the Astros' lineup for Sunday's concluding game of the series against the White Sox.
It's no shock that Alvarez was removed from Saturday’s lineup due to inflammation in his right hand. In addition, his condition was improving, and the player was feeling better but chose to rest the injury. The Astros are adopting a daily approach to his recovery and don't expect to require imaging. An update on his condition is likely to be available before Monday’s series opener in Milwaukee.
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