MLB 2025 | Oviedo secures first win; Gurriel Jr. hits a crucial home run; R. Iglesias earns his 21st save; Yandy achieves the Golden Sombrero; Pagés, Iglesias, Vargas, Arozarena, and Quero go hitless
- BaseballdeCuba
- Aug 21, 2025
- 4 min read
Cuban Players News for the 2025 Major League Baseball season. A compilation of several sources.
Johan Oviedo delivered a five-inning performance, allowing just one run and striking out six batters on Wednesday against the Blue Jays.
Johan Oviedo (1-0) secured the win on Wednesday against the Blue Jays, giving up one run on two hits and a walk over five innings. He struck out five batters. George Springer's home run at the start of the game was the only blemish against Oviedo, as the right-hander limited Toronto to just one more hit over his last four innings, leading to his first major-league victory since 2023. The 27-year-old Oviedo had a 3.12 ERA with a 1.04 WHIP and a 36:7 K:BB ratio across eight starts (26 innings) in the minors this year. After Wednesday's performance, he is likely to remain in Pittsburgh's rotation and is scheduled to face the Cardinals on the road in his next outing.
Yoán Moncada hits a home run in the win.
Yoán Moncada went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in a 2-1 victory over the Reds on Wednesday. Both teams struggled offensively, and Moncada hit the game's only home run with a solo shot to center field in the fourth inning. This home run ended a 20-game homer drought for the third baseman that began on July 19. During that challenging period, Moncada had a low batting average of .208 and struck out 19 times. However, he seems to be improving—over his last eight games, he's batting .333 (8-for-24) with three extra-base hits and four RBIs.
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. hits a crucial home run in victory.
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. had a 2-for-4 performance with a solo home run and an additional RBI in Wednesday's 3-2 victory over the Guardians. The experienced outfielder started the bottom of the ninth inning by hitting a 424-foot solo homer off a Cade Smith fastball, tying the game at 2-2. This was his 17th home run of the season and his third in the last seven games, during which he has gone 9-for-28 (.321) with 12 RBI and five runs scored. Gurriel, who also drove in a run in the first inning today, has accumulated four homers and 21 RBI in 18 games this month. This is already his highest RBI count in a month since April 2024, and he still has 10 games remaining to increase the total.
Raisel Iglesias delivered a flawless ninth inning on Tuesday, securing his 21st save of the season in Atlanta's 1-0 win over the White Sox.
Raisel Iglesias was brought in to protect a one-run lead in the final inning, needing just eight pitches (all strikes) to clinch the victory. The 35-year-old veteran closer has achieved five saves over the past week and hasn't given up an earned run since July 26. It's no overstatement to claim that he's in one of the most remarkable stretches of his lengthy career as he nears free agency in a few weeks.
Yandy Díaz achieved a Golden Sombrero on Wednesday.
In a 6-4 extra-innings loss to the Yankees on Wednesday, Yandy Díaz likely had the worst game of his MLB career. Yandy went 0-for-5, leaving two runners in scoring position in the tenth inning, and striking out four times for the first time in his 9-year MLB career. It was an unusually poor performance for the Cuban infielder and designated hitter, who is having an excellent season with a slash line of .279/.339/.455, 20 home runs, and 71 RBIs, and has never reached the 100 strikeouts mark in his career.
Andy Pagés goes hitless in defeat.
On Wednesday, the Dodgers were defeated by the Rockies with a score of 8-3. Andy Pagés went hitless, finishing 0-for-4, scoring one run, and striking out once. Currently, Pagés is experiencing a minor slump, posting a slash line of .125/.222/.250 over his last seven games. During this period, he has hit one home run, his 20th of the season, recorded one RBI, and struck out six times.
José Iglesias didn't get a hit in the victory.
José Iglesias was in the starting lineup for the Padres during their 8-1 win over the Giants on Wednesday. He went 0-for-4 with one strikeout, contributing to his disappointing performance in August. Although Iglesias has been getting more regular playing time this month, he isn't improving his situation, hitting just .172/.351/.276 in 14 games and 29 at-bats. It's hard to predict how much longer the 35-year-old will remain at the MLB level.
Andy Ibáñez drives in a run.
During the Tigers' 7-2 victory over the Astros on Wednesday, Andy Ibáñez played and finished the game with a 1-for-4 performance. He recorded his 19th RBI of the season, scored a run, and had a strikeout. This year, Ibáñez has had less playing time with the Tigers, appearing in just 62 games, where he is slashing .240/.298/.357 with 3 home runs and 31 runs scored.
Edgar Quero stayed seated once more on Wednesday. Miguel Vargas hitless and Luis Robert Jr. with one hit.
Edgar Quero was absent from the lineup for Wednesday's game in Atlanta. Last week, Quero and Kyle Teel regularly alternated between the catcher and designated-hitter positions, but Quero's opportunities have begun to diminish. He was on the bench for the second time in this series and the third time in five games. He entered the game as a pinch hitter, and went 0-for-1.
In the same game, Miguel Vargas did not get any hits, going 0-for-4 with a strikeout. On the other hand, Luis Robert Jr. managed a 1-for-3 performance but was caught attempting to steal his 32nd base.
Randy Arozarena went hitless in the defeat.
Randy Arozarena did not record a hit in Wednesday's 11-2 defeat against the Phillies. Arozarena went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts, continuing his challenging stretch at the plate over the last 15 games, during which he is hitting just .177/.271/.242 with one home run, four RBIs, and maintaining his aggressive approach with 17 strikeouts.
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