MLB 2025 | Pagés hits his ninth home run; Chapman secures a win; Yandy and Arozarena with multihit games; Yariel maintains positive momentum; Gurriel Jr. with first triple; Morejón suffers a loss
- BaseballdeCuba
- May 18
- 4 min read
Updated: May 18
Cuban Players News for the 2025 Major League Baseball season. A compilation of several sources.
Andy Pagés hit a three-run home run during Saturday's game against the Angels, which ended in a loss.
Andy Pagés recorded two hits in five at-bats, including a three-run homer, during Saturday's 11-9 defeat to the Angels. Pagés has been on fire at the plate recently, showcasing a surge in power. He's hit three home runs in his last four games and is batting .281 (18-for-64) over 15 games in May. In his second major-league season, the outfielder is having a breakout year, hitting .288 with an .847 OPS, nine home runs, 27 RBIs, 23 runs scored, and five stolen bases over 43 games. Pagés has been covering right field for Teoscar Hernández lately, but with his impressive performance, manager Dave Roberts will likely ensure Pagés gets regular playing time even after Hernández returns from the injured list.
Aroldis Chapman with a win.
Aroldis Chapman earned his third win after delivering a scoreless ninth inning against the Braves on Saturday. Entering a tied game at the beginning of the ninth, Chapman allowed a walk and a single but struck out the other three batters he encountered. As Boston's main closer, he has twice as many saves as wins.
Yandy Díaz achieved a game with multiple hits.
Yandy Díaz went 2-for-5 with two RBIs and a stolen base in the Rays’ 4-0 victory over the Marlins on Saturday. Yandy missed the Rays' series against the Blue Jays earlier in the week due to passport issues, but he returned on Friday and has started both games since. He contributed a crucial two-RBI single in the fifth inning and achieved his first multi-hit game since May 4. This indicates that Yandy has slowed down a bit in May, going 10-for-47, but he has still managed 10 RBIs and three runs scored over 12 games.
Yariel Rodríguez continues to trend positively.
In a 2-1 victory over the Tigers, Yariel maintained his positive trend by pitching two scoreless innings and allowing just one hit. This marked his sixth consecutive appearance without conceding a run and his seventh out of eight appearances in May where opponents failed to score against him. The 27-year-old has been more successful in high-leverage situations late in the game, though yesterday was an exception with a strong performance early on. This success might lead to a change in his role if it continues. Regardless of when he pitches, he has a 3.52 ERA, with nine earned runs allowed over 92 at-bats and 23 innings. During this period, he has given up 17 hits and nine walks while striking out 22 batters. He has also kept opponents' batting averages to .215, although his OPS rises in the seventh inning due to the four extra-base hits he's allowed (three doubles and one home run).
On Saturday, none of the three Cuban players on the White Sox got a hit.
In a 7-3 defeat against the Cubs, the Cuban trio of Miguel Vargas, Edgar Quero, and Luis Robert Jr. collectively went 0-for-11. Vargas contributed an RBI and struck out once, while Quero, who returned as catcher, also recorded one strikeout. Luis Robert Jr. continued his difficult month by striking out twice.
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. with multi-hit game.
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. has recently seen a revival in his hitting after a relatively slow start to the season. On Saturday, he went 2-for-4 with two RBIs and hit his first triple of the year, along with drawing two walks. Gurriel's recent performance has been instrumental in turning his season around, and his improved hitting has secured his playing time. Over his last 15 games, he is batting .311/.364/.590 with three home runs and 12 RBIs, while continuing to lead all Cuban players in RBIs (27).
Adolis García hitless on Saturday.
During a 5-1 win over the Astros, Adolis García had no hits in three at-bats, drawing one walk and striking out once. Although Adolis has been inconsistent lately, he is currently on an eight at-bat hitless streak. His May performance stands at .214/.254/.375, while his overall stats are .221/.272/.393, with 6 home runs and 24 RBIs.
Randy Arozarena collected multiple hits. Adrián Morejón charged with loss.
Randy Arozarena went 2-for-4, scored a run, and had a strikeout in the Mariners' 4-1 victory over the Padres. Arozarena has been performing strongly on offense with his team, achieving a .327/.441/.469 with a home run and three RBIs over his last 15 games. He has also maintained a perfect 9-for-9 record in steals, putting him on pace to surpass the 20-steal mark for the fifth straight year.
In the same game, Padres reliever Adrián Morejón pitched for 1/3 of an inning, giving up two hits and a run in a 4-1 defeat against the Mariners. He came into the game in the seventh inning and immediately allowed a solo home run to Cal Raleigh to left-center, which gave the Mariners a lead they maintained. This was followed by a single from Arozarena, and after striking out Donovan Solano, Morejón was replaced.
Yoán Moncada was taken out of Friday's victory against the Dodgers due to a suspected right thumb injury and did not play in Saturday's game.
Yoán Moncada did not play in the Angels' game on Saturday after leaving Friday’s game due to a right thumb injury. He had previously missed time this season because of a sprain in the same thumb, making this situation particularly worrisome for the Angels. The 29-year-old seemed to have worsened the injury during a swing in the ninth inning of Friday’s game at Dodger Stadium. An update on his condition is expected sometime this week.
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