MLB 2025 | Vargas was flawless and hit two home runs; Iglesias achieved his 8th save; Daysbel earned his seventh hold; Dairon was reinstated; Yariel delivered another scoreless inning
- BaseballdeCuba
- May 17
- 5 min read
Cuban Players News for the 2025 Major League Baseball season. A compilation of several sources.
Miguel Vargas hits two home runs for the first time in his career.
On Friday, Miguel Vargas went 4-for-4, hitting two home runs and a double against the Cubs.
Earlier this season, Vargas had a .139/.236/.203 batting average in his first 22 games and might have been sent down if he had options left. However, in his last 20 games, he has improved to a .351/.422/.622 average with five home runs and 13 RBIs. Vargas has started four consecutive games and gone 8-for-18 with three homers, seven RBI and four runs scored. After a very slow start to the season, overall he has a .731 OPS with five home runs, 19 RBI and 19 runs scored across 42 games.
Raisel Iglesias secured his eighth save with some problems.
Raisel Iglesias picked up the save in Friday's 4-2 win over Boston after allowing one run on one hit in the ninth inning. He struck out one. The Braves led 2-1 entering the ninth inning, but the Red Sox chose not to deploy one of their top two relievers to maintain the one-run deficit. The Braves then scored two additional insurance runs, providing their unsteady closer with crucial breathing space. Iglesias' inconsistent beginning to the season persisted, with him allowing five runs on 11 hits in his last five appearances. Out of the veteran right-hander's 19 games, only six have been without any runs. Iglesias currently holds a 5.89 ERA and a 1.42 WHIP for the season, though he boasts a 20:4 strikeout-to-walk ratio and has successfully converted eight of his 11 save opportunities as Atlanta's closer. It was Iglesias 232nd career save, placing him 43rd on the all-time list, merely two saves behind fellow active player Edwin Díaz.
The Royals have reinstated OF Dairon Blanco from the 10-day injured list.
The Royals reinstated Dairon Blanco from the 10-day injured list on Friday. Blanco has been sidelined for the majority of the season due to right Achilles tendinopathy but is set to return following 12 rehab games. For the moment, the speedster is expected to play a backup role, though he has the opportunity to advance in the depth chart given the Royals' outfield's lack of talent.
Yoán Moncada hit a two-run home run in a win against the Dodgers on Friday. Jorge Soler went hitless.
Yoán Moncada hit a two-run home run in the first inning, giving the Halos a 2-0 advantage. The 29-year-old infielder has demonstrated impressive power during his limited play in 2025, having hit three home runs and achieving a .483 slugging percentage over 58 at-bats. He was later taken out of the game due to an apparent right thumb injury, which he seems to have aggravated during a ninth-inning swing in the game at Dodger Stadium. An update on his condition is expected sometime this week.
In the same game for the Angels, Jorge Soler did not get a hit in five at-bats, striking out twice, which left his slash line at .221/.293/.396 with 6 home runs and 16 RBIs for the season.
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. went hitless on Friday.
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. had no hits in five at-bats during the D-backs' 8-0 victory over the Rockies. Despite this, Gurriel has been performing well over his last 15 games, achieving a .311/.344/.574 batting line with 3 home runs and 10 RBIs, and he continues to lead all Cuban players in home runs (7) and RBIs (25) for the season.
Edgar Quero recorded one hit on Friday.
Edgar Quero had one hit in four at-bats during Friday's 13-3 loss of the White Sox to the Cubs. He played as the designated hitter and was seventh in the batting order. Quero continues to share catching duties with veteran Matt Thaiss and maintains a strong offensive line of .293/.384/.333 with 9 RBIs for the year.
Daysbel Hernández secured his seventh hold of the year.
Daysbel Hernández pitched a scoreless eighth inning against Boston, contributing to a 4-2 victory for the Braves. He recorded one strikeout and issued one walk. His performance earned him his seventh hold of the season. The 28-year-old is finally establishing himself in the major leagues after spending considerable time in the Braves’ farm system. In 2025, he has a 3-0 record with a 1.80 ERA across 19 games, seven holds, and 14 strikeouts. Despite a 13.7 BB%, he boasts an impressive .237 WOBA.
Luis Robert Jr. no-hit again.
Luis Robert Jr. went hitless again in the White Sox's 13-3 loss to the Cubs. Luis Robert went 0-for-4 with a strikeout and now has nine consecutive at-bats without a hit. After Friday's game, his slash line is now .181/.283/.306 with five homers and a leading 17 stolen bases.
The Rays reinstated 1B Yandy Díaz from the restricted list.
The 33-year-old was absent for the three-game series in Toronto because of a passport issue, but he was back with the Rays for the series opener in Miami on Friday. The Rays lost the game 9-4, and Díaz went 1-for-4 with an RBI. This year, Yandy has a .238/.291/.396 slash line with six home runs in 179 plate appearances, and he's hitting just .190 (8-for-42) over 11 games in May.
Yariel Rodríguez delivers another scoreless inning.
Yariel Rodríguez seems to be moving past his struggles with Toronto, as he delivered another scoreless inning on Friday in a 5-4 defeat against Detroit. Yariel pitched the ninth inning and, although he gave up one hit and one walk and didn't record a strikeout, he remained scoreless, helped by Gleyber Torres' poor baserunning. Yariel has been impressive in his last seven games, achieving a 1.08 ERA over 8 1/3 innings with a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 12:2 and only four hits allowed. After having a concerning 8.44 ERA on April 12, just a month later, he has improved to a respectable 3.86 ERA for the season.
Adolis García went hitless Friday.
In a 6-3 Rangers defeat against the Astros on Friday, Adolis García went 0-for-4. He lowered his slash line to .225/.273/.400 with six homers and 24 RBIs for the year.
Víctor Mederos pitched six scoreless innings for Triple-A Salt Lake on Thursday.
Since Víctor Mederos joined Salt Lake following a short stint in the major leagues last month, he has been performing exceptionally well, giving up just three runs over 17 2/3 innings in three starts. The 23-year-old, who has only appeared as a reliever in his brief major league appearances since his 2023 debut, is now a potential candidate for the rotation if a spot becomes available.
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