Cuban Players News for the 2024 Major League Baseball season. A compilation of several sources Raisel Iglesias tossed a scoreless ninth inning on Wednesday against the Mariners to collect his eighth save of the season. Iglesias was summoned to guard a three-run lead in the final frame and certainly made things interesting by issuing a leadoff walk to Luke Raley before giving up a single to ensuing batter Julio Rodríguez. He set down Mitch Haniger and Jorge Polanco before getting Cal Raleigh to ground out to preserve the victory. The 34-year-old veteran stopper has converted eight of nine save opportunities this season to accompany a sparkling 2.19 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and 9/3 K/BB ratio across 12 1/3 innings (13 appearances). Yandy Díaz finished 0-for-5 in the loss to the Brewers on Wednesday. Díaz did reach on an error, but he was credited with four groundouts and one flyout today. His groundball rate is currently checking in at 62%, well above his already problematic career mark of 53%. Hopefully, it’s something he can straightened out in the next few weeks. Díaz is now 0-for-16 in his last 5 games. If not, it looks like we’re back to the Díaz of 2019-21, when he was a valuable major leaguer but one without much to offer in the league. Red Sox designated RHP Vladimir Gutiérrez for assignment. The Red Sox designated Gutiérrez for assignment Wednesday. Gutiérrez will lose his spot on the 40-man roster to create space for Dominic Smith, who signed a major-league deal with the Red Sox on Wednesday. The 28-year-old righty owns a 9.28 ERA and 2.16 WHIP across 10.2 innings in Triple-A this season, and he will likely pass through waivers unclaimed. Randy Arozarena went 0-for-3 Wednesday. Arozarena's problems continue. He went o-for-3 in a 7-1 loss to the Brewers on Wednesday. He is now 0-for-13 in his last 5 games and overall is slashing .139/.220/.235 with 3 homers and 9 RBI this year. Arozarena's issues are most likely related to his swings and misses this 2024. His whiff rate is poor 34.4 and the worst since 2020 while his K% is also bad sitting at 29.3. At this moment Arozarena is really struggling with a Batting Run Value of -10 while his Baserunning Run Value is -1, both in the bottom 5 according to Baseball Savant. Andy Ibáñez was not in the Tigers lineup Wednesday Andy Ibáñez was not in the lineup for the Detroit Tigers against the St. Louis Cardinals Wednesday. Ibáñez received the afternoon off for general rest, with Colt Keith starting at second base and batting seventh against the Cardinals. However, he entered the game as a pinch hitter and went 1-for-1 lifting his BA to .333 in 9 games and 23 PA this year. A scoreless inning from Aroldis Chapman on Wednesday. In today's Pirates 4-0 loss to the A's, Chapman pitched a scoreless inning. In total, Chapman threw 14 pitches, seven of which were strikes. He struck out two and lowered his season ERA to 5.40. Against Boston, Jorge Soler went hitless. Jorge Soler went 0-for-4 in a 6-2 loss to the Red Sox.  Soler so far has been a disappointment with San Francisco, hitting .211/.304/.385 with 5 homers and 8 RBI in 31 games and 125 PA. Soler's 27.3 K% is the second worst in the last four years, while his Exit Velocity (88.5) is the worst of his career. In Wednesday's game against the Nationals, Adolis García went 1-for-3. Adolis went 1-for-3 with a walk and two strikeouts in Wednesday's 1-0 loss to the Nationals. His last home run came on Apr 28 against the Reds, giving him eight home runs in 122 plate appearances while slashing .294/.352/.578 with 19 runs scored, 25 RBI, and four steals. Yordan Alvarez continues to struggle. There seems to be a mini slump going on. During Wednesday's 3-2 loss to the Guardians in extra innings, the Cuban outfielder went o-for-4. Alvarez has gone 0-for-12 with an RBI since his second home run against the Rockies on April 27. It's still solid for him as he slashes .254/.323/.458 with 7 home runs, 18 runs scored and 18 RBI in 133 plate appearances. In Arizona, Andy Pagés and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. were still playing. It was still going on in the seventh inning, when the Dodgers were leading 8-0 over the D-backs. Pagés was 1-for-4 with his third homerun of the season, two RBIs and two strikeouts in the game. During the second inning, Pagés blasted a two-run home run off Jordan Montgomery to open the scoring. As for Gurriel Jr., he was 0-for-3. Marlins OF prospect Victor Mesa Jr. walloped a three-run homer on Tuesday for Triple-A Jacksonville. Mesa continues to make a compelling case to get a shot with the Marlins, who have been one of the worst teams in the big leagues so far this season. The 22-year-old top prospect is batting .312 (24-for-77) with five homers through 19 games this season at the Triple-A level. There isn’t a ton of speed here, but he’ll chip in the occasional theft and could make an impact if he gets the call this summer.

Cuban Players News for the 2024 Major League Baseball season. A compilation of several sources Astros optioned 1B José Abreu to extended spring training. Astros general manager Dana Brown told reporters Tuesday that the decision was mutually agreed upon to send Abreu to extended spring training in Florida to get some additional at-bats and work on his timing at the plate. The 37-year-old slugger, who signed a three-year, $58.5 million pact with Houston prior to last year, is batting .099 (7-for-71) with just one extra-base hit this season through 22 games. The move presumably clears up a spot for top prospect Joey Loperfido to get some extended run as Houston’s primary option at the cold corner. The veteran is expected to be in the minors for at least 10 days, but it is unclear when he will rejoin the team. Néstor Cortés allowed four runs on eight hits in six innings in a loss to the Orioles on Tuesday. Cortés (1-3) took the loss Tuesday against the Orioles, allowing four runs on eight hits and two walks over six innings. He struck out five. It wasn’t a bad day overall for Cortés, who has a 20 percent whiff rate but just a 24 percent CSW. The Orioles weren’t fooled by much and had 11 hard-hit baseballs against Cortés on the night. The left-hander relies a lot on deception, so when hitters have their timing against him, it’s going to be hard for him to find success. He’s been good more often than not this season and will carry a 3.86 ERA into a start against the Tigers. Yandy Díaz and Randy Arozarena are once again hitless. Understanding both players' careers, it is difficult to explain, but this Tuesday they continued their extended slump, and went 0-for-8 combined. It was an 8-2 loss for the Rays to the Brewers. While Díaz struck out one time, Arozarena struck out twice. In his last four games, Díaz is 0-for-11 with four strikeouts, while in the same period of time Arozarena is 0-for-10 with four strikeouts. The Reds hit Adrián Morejón hard. With a 5-0 lead, Morejón entered Tuesday's game against the Reds. Having struck out his first batter faced, Morejón gave up a hit to Elly de la Cruz, a double to Spencer Steer, and a single to Jonathan India. After retiring Nick Martini for the second out, he was immediately replaced. A 2.61 ERA and 16 strikeouts and no walks are displayed by Morejón in 10 1/3 innings. Blue Jays placed RHP Yariel Rodríguez on the 15-day injured list with thoracic spine inflammation. Rodríguez is going to wind up missing at least a couple turns in Toronto’s starting rotation, which presumably opens the door for either Alek Manoah or Zach Pop to get a look with the Blue Jays. Unfortunately, top prospect Ricky Tiedemann isn’t an option due to an elbow injury. There should be some clarity on Rodríguez’s status and potential return timeline at some point in the coming days. Yordan Alvarez was hitless Tuesday. During Tuesday night's 10-9 victory over the Guardians, Yordan Alvarez went 0-for-5 with three strikeouts. This was an atypical night for the Cuban slugger, who has also seen his production decline in the last 7 games, hitting .179/.194/.393 with 2 HRs and 5 RBI. White Sox's Luis Robert: Ramping up baseball work White Sox manager Pedro Grifol said Tuesday that Robert is taking batting practice and running at 80 percent, Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times reports. The 26-year-old is about halfway through the short end of his initial recovery timeline of 6-to-8 weeks, and he appears to be a bit ahead of schedule. Robert could be ready to rejoin the White Sox in mid-May, but the organization is likely to remain cautious as he ramps up his baseball activities over the next couple weeks.

Cuban Players News for the 2024 Major League Baseball season. A compilation of several sources On Monday, Yariel Rodríguez allowed six hits, two earned runs, and had one strikeout in 3 2/3 innings. While Yariel has allowed at least six hits in back-to-back starts, he has only allowed three or more earned runs in one of his first four career starts. The 27-year-old allowed two runs in the first inning, but shut the Royals out the rest of the way after escaping a two-out jam in the second inning. He didn't factor in the game's decision. In 15 1/3 innings, Yariel has a 4.11 ERA, 1.76 WHIP, and a 16/8 K/BB ratio with a 16/8 K/BB ratio. In his first season, Yariel is showing a modest strikeout rate and an alarming strikeout-to-walk ratio, so he must improve his numbers in future appearances while he adjusts to the big leagues.  In his next outing he will face the Nationals. Yandy Díaz and Randy Arozarena go hitless again. Díaz and Arozarena went 0-for-5 together in Tampa Bay's 1-0 win against the Brewers on Monday. Díaz walked and struck out once, while Arozarena walked and struck out twice. At the top of the Ray's lineup, both players continue to struggle. After being activated from the 15-day injured list, Cionel Pérez pitched against the Yankees. A left oblique strain forced Pérez to be placed on the injured list after just one appearance with the O's. In his appearance, he was brought in to face Oswaldo Cabrera and retired the lefty hitter with a groundball to first. After allowing a single in the seventh inning, he retired Anthony Volpe and Juan Soto on ground balls before being replaced by Yennier Cano. With Cionel now healthy, the team will be able to use him from the bullpen in the middle to late innings. Diamondbacks' Lourdes Gurriel: Halts skid. Gurriel went 1-for-5 with a double and a run scored in Monday's 8-4 loss to the Dodgers. Gurriel doubled in the fifth inning to snap an 0-for-15 slide and eventually came around to score on a wild pitch. The outfielder is slashing .265/.312/.444 with five home runs and a team-high 22 RBI. Yennier Cano recorded his seventh hold against the Yankees. In the seventh inning, Cano relieved compatriot Cionel Pérez. Despite having the tying run at second base, he managed to retire Judge with a flyout to right field. He then pitched a clean eighth inning before being replaced by Danny Coulombe after allowing a single in the ninth. The work Cano performed on Monday brought his ERA down to 2.25 and his strikeouts to 16 in 16 innings. On Monday, Andy Pagés had three RBIs. As part of their final leg of the road trip, the Dodgers beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 8-4 on Monday. Following a 1-0 deficit, the Dodgers tied it in the second inning, and Andy Pages' sacrifice fly gave them the lead. With bases loaded in the fourth inning, Pagés hit a two-run double to break the game open. In the game, he went 1-for-4, but added three RBIs and did not strike out. Page's bat is performing at the highest level, batting .298/.314/.532 with 2 home runs and 8 RBI across 12 games and 51 plate appearances. Tigers activated INF Andy Ibáñez from the injured list. Ibáñez was off to a solid start, hitting .267/.235/.267 across his first seven games while playing mainly second base or third base. In his absence, Matt Vierling has played well, and it’s unclear just what kind of role Ibáñez will be coming back to. More than likely, he’ll be a versatile bench piece for the Tigers. Buddy Kennedy was optioned to Triple-A in a corresponding move.

Cuban Players News for the 2024 Major League Baseball season. A compilation of several sources Adolis García went deep in win for the Rangers. In Sunday's 4-3 victory over the Reds, García went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run and a walk. García drove in teammate Nathaniel Lowe in the bottom of the first inning with a two-run blast against Andrew Abbott. It was his eighth long ball of the year and third in the last six games. Over 103 at-bats in 28 games this season, the outfielder has eight home runs, 25 RBIs, 19 runs scored, and four stolen bases. Yandy Díaz was back in the Rays' lineup Sunday. In Sunday's game against the Chicago White Sox, Yandy Díaz was back in the lineup for the Tampa Bay Rays. Díaz returned after sitting out Saturday for manager Kevin Cash. During the game, he went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts. Díaz has had a disapointing start to the 2024 season, hitting just .232/.293/.304 with 11 RBI through 28 games and 123 plate appearances. Another hold by Yennier Cano. In the Orioles' 7-6 loss to the A's, Yennier Cano recorded his sixth hold of the season. He pitched in the eighth inning, allowing one hit and striking out one. It took Cano 19 pitches to get the job done, 12 of which were strikes. With 16 strikeouts in 14 2/3 innings, Cano lowered his ERA to 2.45 for the year. Dairon Blanco had one hit on Sunday. In Sunday's 4-1 loss to the Tigers, Blanco was in the Royals' lineup. On the field, he played center field and batted seventh. He went 1-for-4, struck out twice, and left two runners in scoring position in the game. Blanco continues to play a limited role for the Royals, with a .227 BA, 5 hits in 22 at-bats, no home runs, and 5 stolen bases as of today. On Sunday, José Abreu and Yordan Alvarez went hitless. Joey Loperfido called up. Both Abreu and Alvarez went hitless against the Rockies in an 8-2 victory. Sunday afternoon, Abreu and Alvarez combined to go 0-for-7. Alvarez had one RBI and one strikeout, while Abreu went 0-for-4. Alvarez is one of the Astros' leading hitters on the season, batting .275 with seven homers and 18 RBI. As for Abreu, he is struggling to lift his BA to at least .100, showing an exact .099 with no home runs and three RBIs. Several factors can be attributed to Jose Abreu's batting problems. His form could be suffering from a slump, where he is finding it difficult to make solid contact with the ball. His real problem is that he doesn't seem to be able to break his actual form. Abreu's slump has lasted so long that many wonder why the Astros haven't dealt with him. It may not be long before we have an answer to this question. Just hours after Sunday's game and as part of their efforts to bolster their struggling offense, the Houston Astros have called up their No. 6 prospect, Joey Loperfido, to the major league roster. The outfielder and first baseman has been performing well in Triple-A Sugar Land, batting .287 and hitting 13 home runs. Loperfido's arrival could provide the team with a much-needed offensive boost. The team announced the promotion and multiple sources, including KPRC 2 and MLB Pipeline, confirmed it. Loperfido, who is expected to play primarily in the outfield upon his arrival, will require roster moves. With the arrival of Loperfido, it is unknown if Cuban infielder Jose Abreu will be part of any roster moves. Sunday was a hitless day for Lourdes Gurriel Jr. Gurriel Jr. went hitless in the D-backs' 3-2 win over the Mariners. As a result, Gurriel's batting average dropped to .268 after going 0-for-4 with a strikeout. Recent stats show Gurriel Jr. has been declining, hitting .246/.279/.385 with 13 strikeouts in his last 15 games. Raisel Iglesias pitched a scoreless ninth inning. A 4-3 win in extra innings over the Guardians was not Iglesias' choice to save. He pitched one clean inning with one strikeout and one hit in a 3-3 game. As he faced four hitters, he used 16 pitches and 11 strikes. It is evident from his 2.38 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, and 9:2 K:BB over 11.1 innings that Iglesias has pitched well during this season. Randy Arozarena was out of lineup Sunday. Randy Arozarena was out of the lineup for the Tampa Bay Rays against the Chicago White Sox game on Sunday. Arozarena received the afternoon off for routine rest, he entered the game as a pinch hitter and went 0-for-1. Arozarena is also having a terrible 2024 season compiling a miserable .107/.180/.179 with a homer and three RBI during his last 15 games.

Cuban Players News for the 2024 Major League Baseball season. A compilation of several sources Raisel Iglesias notches seventh save Iglesias picked up the save Monday against Miami. He pitched a clean inning with one strikeout. Iglesias continued his sterling start Monday night with an uneventful save against the Marlins. He needed only 11 pitches to set down Josh Bell, Jesus Sanchez and Tim Anderson in order for his seventh save, tying him for the NL lead. Iglesias has pitched to the tune of 2.16 ERA, 0.72 WHIP and 6:1 K:BB over 8.1 innings. Another erratic performance from Aroldis Chapman. During an outing, Chapman looked erratic again. In Pirates' 4-2 victory over the Brewers on Monday, Chapman got on out but allowed a run. His sixth hold of the year came despite walking three and striking out one. He has an ERA of 5.14, but over his last seven games the number is 8.31. His SO/BB ratio is terrible at 11/10. Randy Arozarena and Yandy Díaz continue to struggle. Díaz finished 1-for-4 on the night after dropping to second place in the lineup for Monday's game. Arozarena was 0-for-4 with a SO in Tampa's 7-0 loss to Detroit. There could be a variety of reasons for Arozarena and Díaz's struggles. It could be due to a slump in form, lack of confidence, or adjustments made by opposing pitchers. Third hold by Yennier Cano without allowing a run. Cano volvio a lanzar y esta vez lo hizo por 1 2/3 en la victoria de los Orioles 4-2 over the Angels. Cano didnt alow a run with one hit, claiming his third hold of the year. Bullpen arms are among baseball's most volatile players. It doesn't take long for a stellar rookie season like Cano's in 2023 to turn into a career as a mediocre reliever. But Cano still achieves his objective, as he relies more on his sinker/changeup/slider arsenal to produce poor contact from opposing hitters, and that is still working for him. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. went 1-for-5 on Monday against the Cardinals. Gurriel Jr. failed to get another multi-hit game, collecting just one hit against the Cardinals on Monday. He struck out twice. Gurriel Jr. ended his day hitting a .284/.340/.484 with five homers and 21 RBI across 103 plate appearances.

Cuban Players News for the 2024 Major League Baseball season. A compilation of several sources Adolis García pummeled a two-run homer on Sunday night, powering the Rangers to a 6-4 victory over the Braves. The 31-year-old superstar victimized Tyler Matzek in the eighth inning, crushing a first-pitch fastball for a 361-foot (99.8 mph EV) two-run blast that increased the Rangers’ lead to 6-3. It would wind up being the difference in the ballgame. García also doubled in the ballgame and was caught stealing, finishing the night 2-for-4. He has been a five-category monster so far, slashing a robust .326/.368/.616 with six homers, 22 RBI and four stolen bases. Yandy Díaz and Randy Arozarena hitless on Sunday. Díaz and Arozarena went hitless on Sunday's 5-4 loss to the Yankees. They combined to go 0-for-9 with five strikeouts. Neither of Tampa's two key hitters has had a good start to the season. Yordan Alvarez with one hit Sunday. After going 3-for-5 on Saturday, Alvarez went 1-for-4 on Sunday's 6-0 loss to the Nationals. He also struck out once. This game pushes his season batting average to a solid .289, maintaining his status as a reliable source of hits and runs. His consistent contact and ability to get on base are underscored by a strong .386 wOBA, although his power numbers could see an uptick given his capability. Andy Pagés hit his first major league homer and doubled Sunday in the rout of the Mets. Pagés’ homer off Grant Hartwig was hit 413 feet to dead center. He’s 4-for-15 with three extra-base hits since his callup, though the 9/0 K/BB ratio is scary. Odds are that he’ll be sent down if Jason Heyward overcomes his back woes, but there’s considerable upside here, and he’s a good player to watch in the beginning of the year. José Abreu was not in the lineup for Sunday’s tilt against the Nationals. Abreu got a day off after a disastrous start to the 2024 season that has seen him hit just .068 with a .223 OPS. Yes, that last number is accurate. Jon Singleton handled first base. Giants' Jorge Soler: Steps out of lineup Soler was not in the lineup for Sunday's game against the Diamondbacks. It was the first day off of the season for Soler, who has gone 5-for-16 with a solo homer during a modest four-game hit streak.

Cuban Players News for the 2024 Major League Baseball season. A compilation of several sources A narrow Astros loss doesn't dampen Yordan Alvarez's performance. In the Astros' 5-4 loss to the Braves, Yordan Alvarez went 2-for-5 with a home run and two runs scored. Despite contributing significantly to the Astros' offensive effort, his solo shot was not enough to secure the victory. Alvarez's consistent performance throughout the season has been a bright spot for the Astros. Despite the narrow loss, his impressive stats, including a .289 batting average, five homers, and 13 RBI in 20 games, showcase his impact on the team's offensive prowess. Wednesday against the Astros, Raisel Iglesias saved a one-run lead. To start the 10th, Iglesias walked Kyle Tucker, but he then got a flyout and a double play to strand the runner and end the game. Raisel Iglesias' performance has been impressive compared to other relief pitchers in the league. With an ERA of 2.84 and five saves, he has proven to be a reliable closer for the team. His ability to strand runners and end games is a valuable asset for the team's success. After going 0-for-2 and committing a key error in the top of the eighth, José Abreu was removed for a pinch-hitter Wednesday against the Braves. The error was a truly bad hop and might eventually get changed to a hit, but Abreu just didn’t approach it very well. This might be the last we see of him as a regular for at least a little while. He didn’t play Tuesday, and the Astros preferred Jon Singleton to him in the bottom of the eighth tonight. Singleton probably won’t wind up replacing him at first base, but Joey Loperfido might. With his ability to play the outfield, first base, or second base, Loperfido continues to burn Triple-A and is a player who runs well, has good contact and power, and has positional versatility. Adolis García had two RBIs today. Against the Tigers, Adolis García went 1-for-3 on Wednesday with a sacrifice fly, a double, and two RBIs. His sacrifice fly in the first inning gave the Rangers a 1-0 lead, and his double in the sixth went to the video review and confirmed. García's double gave Texas a 2-1 lead after driving in Corey Seager. His current batting line is .304/.359/.536 with four home runs and 17 RBIs. García's consistent improvement throughout the years has solidified his position as a key player in the team's lineup. Jorge Soler has a multi-hit game. On Wednesday, Jorge Soler went 2-for-3 with a walk and two runs scored against the Marlins. It's still early in the season for Soler, who was brought to San Francisco to add power to the middle of the lineup. There are only 5 RBIs and 3 HR for the DH this year with an offensive line of .239/.350/.433. As the designated hitter for the San Francisco team, Soler's primary responsibility is to provide power hitting and drive in runs. While his offensive numbers may not be outstanding so far this season, his ability to consistently contribute with homers indicates his potential to be a valuable player in the lineup. Wednesday was a hitless day for Lourdes Gurriel Jr. He went 0-for-4 and had 2 SO in the D-backs' 5-3 loss to the Cubs after hitting his 5th HR of the year on Tuesday. Gurriel's recent performance has been inconsistent, as evidenced by his hitless day on Wednesday. This has affected his batting average, which may be experiencing a downward trend due to the lack of hits in recent games. In his last seven games, Gurriel Jr. has slashed .207/.281/.448 but has 2 HR and 8 RBI. Yennier Cano pitched a scoreless inning. In the Orioles' 4-2 victory over the Twins, Yennier Cano returned to the box. Cano finished the eighth inning with two strikeouts and a walk before giving way to closer Craig Kimbrel. As a result of Cano's performance today, his ERA has been lowered to 1.93 and he has 10 strikeouts in 9 1/3 innings of work. Yennier Cano's performance in the game contributed to the Orioles' victory but also showcased his strong pitching skills. With a lowered ERA and impressive strikeout count, Cano has proven himself to be a valuable contributor to the team's bullpen. Yandy Díaz with multiple hits. Tuesday, Díaz went 0-for-4 with a walk, but on Wednesday, he had his first multi-hit game since April 5th. A 5-4 loss to the Angels saw him go 2-for-5 with a run scored. Today was Díaz's first game with a hit in his last 11 games, and he is hitting only .211 over 83 plate appearances this season. In 83 plate appearances, he's struck out only 15.6 percent of the time, so there's reason to believe his results will improve. Brewers designated RHP Vladimir Gutiérrez for assignment. After being claimed off waivers from the Marlins earlier this month, Gutiérrez will end his time on the Brewers' 40-man roster without having made an appearance for the big club. Milwaukee will replace him on the 40-man roster with right-hander Tobias Myers, whose contract was selected from Triple-A Nashville ahead of Wednesday's game against the Padres. Gutiérrez had made two appearances (one start) with Nashville and will stick around with the affiliate if he clears waivers. Andy Pagés went hitless on Wednesday. Andy Pagés played right field and ranked eighth in the Dodgers' lineup in a 2-0 shutout loss to the Nationals. After making his MLB debut Tuesday with a single on the first pitch he saw, the Cuban went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts on Wednesday. The Dodgers appear to be keeping him at the bottom of their lineup for the time being. This may provide him with less pressure and allow him to gain more confidence and experience in the major leagues. It also gives the Dodgers an opportunity to assess his performance and development before potentially moving him up in the batting order. White Sox's Yoán Moncada: Headed to Arizona for rehab Moncada plans to head to extended spring training in the coming days to continue his rehab, Scott Merkin of MLB.com reports. Moncada is just over a week removed from suffering a left adductor strain but is already feeling much better. The process will be deliberate, though, as he's on the 60-day injured list and isn't expected to return to action until around the All-Star break.

Cuban Players News for the 2024 Major League Baseball season. A compilation of several sources Lourdes Gurriel Jr. with his fifth home run of the season. In the D-backs' 12-11 victory in 10 innings over the Cubs, Gurriel Jr. went 1-for-3 with three walks, two RBIs, two runs scored, and a home run. In the third inning, Gurriel Jr. hit a two-run homer to give the Diamondbacks a 3-1 lead. The Cuban had gone without a hit for consecutive games. Through 17 games, Gurriel Jr. has five home runs and 20 RBIs. He is now slashing .278/.350/.528 this year. Raisel Iglesias recorded a one-out save on Tuesday against the Astros. Iglesias was summoned to protect a four-run lead with the tying run in the on-deck circle and wound up retiring pinch-hitter Victory Caratini on five pitches to notch a relatively easy save. Iglesias is now 4-for-4 in save opportunities and is tied for the fifth-most saves in the National League. Dodgers recalled OF Andy Pagés from Triple-A Oklahoma City. Pagés played center field and batted seventh on Tuesday night in his major-league debut facing Nationals southpaw Patrick Corbin. With two strikeouts and a run scored, he went 1-for-4 adding hist first MLB hit. The 23-year-old top prospect hit .371 (23-for-62) with five home runs and two steals in 15 games for Triple-A Oklahoma City, earning an early promotion to the majors. Los Angeles' loaded lineup will likely put Pagés at the bottom of its lineup, despite his power. Cuban Players News for the 2024 Major League Baseball season. A compilation of several sources On Tuesday, Yordan Alvarez went hitless. Yordan Alvarez went 0-for-4 with a strikeout in Houston's 6-2 loss to Atlanta. This is Yordan's third consecutive game without a hit, going 0-for-10, walking twice, and striking out once during that period. White Sox designated RHP Josimar Cousín for assignment. Cousín loses his spot on Chicago's 40-man roster in the midst of a roster crunch. Cousín was sent to Double-A Birmingham to begin the 2024 season, but he has yet to make his first appearance of the year. It is likely that the 26-year-old right-hander will pass through waivers unclaimed since he has not pitched in the big leagues. Neither Yandy Díaz nor Randy Arozarena have improved. It's continuing to be a challenge for two of Tampa's best hitters. They went 0-for-9 and struck out twice in Tuesday's 7-6 win over the Angels. Arozarena also walked and scored a run. Cionel Pérez throws off mound for Orioles. Rich Dubroff of BaltimoreBaseball.com reported that Pérez (oblique) has been throwing bullpen sessions and will soon be ready to take live batting practice. He will probably have to make one or two rehab appearances before returning, but that should be soon. Since the opening weekend of the season, the left-handed reliever has been out with a right oblique injury. Yasmani Grandal will begin a minor league rehab assignment on Tuesday with Triple-A Indianapolis. Grandal has been on the shelf since spring training due to plantar fasciitis in his right foot. The 35-year-old veteran backstop comes with some clear durability concerns given his lengthy injury history, but he should help stabilize Pittsburgh’s catching situation which is currently comprised of top prospect Henry Davis and San Francisco castoff Joey Bart. Adolis García was not in the Rangers’ starting lineup for Tuesday’s matchup against the Tigers. With a quick turnaround, Rangers manager Bruce Bochy is giving his 31-year-old outfielder a rest. With García not in the lineup, Wyatt Langford will move into the cleanup spot for the first time in his career. José Abreu was not in the Astros’ starting lineup for Tuesday’s matchup against the Braves. Abreu is 2-for-30 over his past nine games and for the sixth time this season has rested. As we all know, it is not a rest but rather another attempt to find alternatives to the almost non-existent offensive of the Cuban first baseman, while he can work on other changes that will help him change the course of this awful start to the season. Jon Singleton took over first base after Abreu was out and went 1-for-3.

Cuban Players News for the 2024 Major League Baseball season. A compilation of several sources Aroldis Chapman was ejected from the game following a disastrous outing. Pittsburgh Pirates' bullpen has begun to suffer, and if Aroldis Chapman blew a save last Saturday, he took a loss on Monday. In an eighth inning, in which the Mets scored three runs against him, the seven-time All-Star reliever was ejected by plate umpire Edwin Moscoso. The Mets took the lead against Chapman, who struck out catcher Francisco Álvarez and then saw a struck-out McNeil reach first on a wild pitch, a 3-2 walk then a double steal - taking advantage of the Cuban's slow windup - placed runners in scoring position. Then came Bader's double for a 5-3 lead, and Chapman was ejected after an exchange with Moscoso. A Mets run would be added to Chapman's tally in the inning. His immaculate ERA, which rose to 4.76 on Monday, has finally been broken. Yariel Rodríguez will start Friday for the Blue Jays. Sportsnet.ca's Ben Nicholson-Smith reports that Rodríguez will start Friday against the Padres. Rodríguez pitched 3.2 innings for the Rockies in his major-league debut, allowing a run with six strikeouts. While Rodríguez will have command issues in MLB because of the selective hitting, he should also be able to dominate with his slider and his velocity. Despite the right-hander remaining in the Blue Jays' rotation for now, his workload will surely be curbed eventually. Plus, he has earned another start before the team has to activate Alek Manoah. In 2023, Rodríguez did not pitch at all and in 2022, he was used as a relief pitcher in Japan. Yandy Díaz and Randy Arozarena combined for one hit on Monday. Díaz and Arozarena have not just gotten up from their slow start. While Díaz continued to lead the lineup, Arozarena moved to the third spot.  On Monday, however, Tampa lost 7-3 to the Angels with both players hitting a combined 1-for-8. Díaz produced the only hit and scored a run while striking out. As for Arozarena, he went 0-for-4 with one strikeout and is 2 for 18 with four strikeouts in his last five games. Consecutive appearances for Yennier Cano. The Orioles won 7-4 over the Twins on Monday with Cano making his second appearance in two nights. In the 7th inning, the Orioles bullpen struggled. After Keegan Akin took over in the top of the 7th, he gave up a single and ground-rule double to give the Twins two runners in scoring position despite striking out his first batter. In an attempt to clean up Akins' mess, Yennier Cano couldn't keep the Twins from scoring, cutting the O's lead to 7-4. After limiting the damage in the 7th, the All-Star setup man pitched a scoreless 8th and handed the ball over to Craig Kimbrel in the 9th. As a result, Cano allowed two hits and two strikeouts in 1 2/3 of an inning of relief. On Monday, Yordan Alvarez and José Abreu were hitless. Both Yordan and Abreu went 0-for-8 in Houston's 6-1 loss to Atlanta on Monday. There was at least one opportunity for Alvarez to help his team. The game was 2-1 and two runners were on base in the seventh inning. Yordan was facing southpaw A.J. Minter and on a 1-1 count, Yordan popped out to shortstop for the third out. As for Abreu, his offensive game is still a mystery. His 0-for-4 performance, batting eighth in the lineup, included two strikeouts. This month of April, he has a dismal .105/.146/.132 offense without a HR and only one RBI with 13 SO. His offensive line is worse this season: .082/.148/.102, which already makes many on the bench and off it impatient. On Monday, Adolis García went hitless. In Texas' 1-0 victory over Detroit, Garcia went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts. García seems to be experiencing a slump, hitting 3-for-10 with no HRs or RBIs and three strikeouts in the last three games. Currently, he is hitting .308/.370/.538 with 4 HR and 15 RBI.

Cuban Players News for the 2024 Major League Baseball season. A compilation of several sources Néstor Cortés pitched four innings and allowed four runs Sunday against the Guardians. The highlight for Cortés today was a delivery in which he stopped for a second and faked a toss home before finally throwing his pitch, resulting in a four ball from Andrés Giménez. The rest was all less impressive, as he gave up homers to José Ramírez and Gabriel Arías. The lefty was coming off eight scoreless innings his last time out, and Cortés still owns a respectable 4.50 ERA through four starts despite the hiccup Sunday. On the bright side, he forced a season-high 15 swinging strikes, including eight with the fastball. The 29-year-old's next outing is lined up to be at home against the Rays. He’ll face the Rays at home next weekend. José Abreu finished 0-for-4 against the Rangers on Sunday, lowering his average to .111. Three groundouts and a strikeout. For the optimists, we could point out that one the grounders left his bat at 108.6 mph, topping his previous season high for exit velocity by two mph. Still, things seem pretty bleak here. Abreu has come to the plate 50 times this year and hit one line drive. He has one extra-base hit and one RBI. The Astros were very patient when Abreu struggled last year, but that was with Dusty Baker managing and the team as a whole playing well. There will be less patience this time around with Baker gone, the team off to a slow start and Joey Loperfido excelling in Triple-A. Rays' Randy Arozarena: Swipes third bag Arozarena went 1-for-4 with an RBI, a run scored and a stolen base Sunday against the Giants. Arozarena has gotten off to a sluggish start to the season, as he's failed to record a multi-hit performance in any of his last 12 starts with only two extra-base hits in that span. He has found other ways to produce, most notably by being aggressive on the basepaths as he swiped his third bag of the campaign Sunday. There's also reason for optimism that Arozarena can turn the rest of his results around, as he has a 24.6 percent strikeout rate -- in line with his career norm -- paired with only a .231 BABIP. Orioles' Yennier Cano: Grabs second win Cano (2-1) allowed a run on two hits and struck out one over 1.1 innings without walking a batter to earn the win over the Brewers on Sunday. Cano gave up a seventh-inning solo shot to Blake Perkins that briefly put the Brewers ahead. The Orioles rallied for two runs in their half of the frame and held the lead from there to get Cano his second win in seven outings. The setup man has added a hold, a blown save and a loss, but he's generally been solid so far. He's also at a 6:2 K:BB over 6.2 innings this season. Craig Kimbrel remains the Orioles' closer, but Cano is very near the top of the leverage ladder for times when Kimbrel is unavailable. Braves' Raisel Iglesias: Secures third save Iglesias pitched a perfect inning Sunday, striking out a batter on his way to a save in a 9-7 win over the Marlins. Iglesias was called upon to protect the team's two-run lead in the bottom of the ninth inning, setting down Miami in order for his third save of the year. The right-hander rebounded well after he allowed two runs on three hits in his last outing Tuesday, improving to 3-for-3 on save opportunities in 2024. Iglesias has produced a 3.60 ERA and 1.00 WHIP with three strikeouts over five innings in five outings this season.

Cuban Players News for the 2024 Major League Baseball season. A compilation of several sources Yariel Rodríguez allowed one run with six strikeouts across 3 2/3 innings in a no-decision against the Rockies on Saturday. Rodríguez was solid in his MLB debut. He tossed a clean first inning with two strikeouts, then worked around a hit and a walk in the second. Brenton Doyle would homer to lead off the third and put the Rockies on the board. Rodríguez would leave in the fourth at 68 pitches after giving up a pair of base hits. He struck out two more in the inning to give him six on the day. The 27-year-old right-hander currently lines up to make his second start against the Padres in San Diego on Friday. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. crushed a go-ahead three-run homer in the sixth inning on Saturday, propelling the Diamondbacks to a 4-2 victory over the visiting Cardinals. The 30-year-old slugger victimized Cardinals’ right-hander Kyle Gibson for his 377-foot (107.5 mph EV) game-changing blast. He also singled in the contest to extend a hit streak to seven contests, during which he is 11-for-30 (.367) with a home run and eight RBI. He finished the night 2-for-4. Gurriel has been one of the top offensive performers in all of baseball over the first couple weeks of the season — slashing .317/.369/.567 with four homers and a whopping 18 RBI. In Saturday's win over the Rangers, Yordan Alvarez went 2-for-3 and scored two runs. Adolis Garcia also with two hits. Alvarez singled in each of his first two at-bats. Additionally, he walked twice and scored a run. During this season, Alvarez has been Alvarez. In his last seven games, he has hit .440 (11-for-25) with 2 HR and 9 RBI. As a whole, he is hitting .328/.423/.574 with four home runs, 12 RBI, and three doubles. As part of a potent Astros lineup, he remains a top bat. Adolis Garcia went 2-for-3 with a run scored and a walk for the Rangers in the same game. This season, Adolis has slashed .333/.400/.596 with 4 HR and 15 RBI. Jorge Soler went 1-for-4 with a homer while scoring a run in a victory over the Rays on Saturday. Soler hit a solo home run in the seventh inning to make it 8-1. It counts just as much as any other home run, regardless of the outcome. The 32-year-old is slashing .208/.328/.434 with three home runs and four RBIs in his first year with the Giants. First save blown by Aroldis Chapman. On Saturday, the Pirates failed to overcome a blown save from Aroldis Chapman as they fell 4-3 to the Phillies. Right fielder Nick Castellanos hit the walk-off single in the tenth inning to seal the victory. In the seventh inning, Aroldis Chapman walked Schwarber and Bryce Harper. Passed balls and groundouts helped Schwarber advance to third, and a single by Bryson Stott scored him. For Chapman, this was his first blown save this season. In addition, he allowed his first run, although it was unearned. Braves signed INF Yuli Gurriel to a minor league contract. As a Miami Marlin, Gurriel had a .245/.304/.359 slash line with four homers and 27 RBIs in 108 games played in 2023. The 39-year-old veteran infielder will head to Triple-A Gwinnett to wait for an opportunity to ascend to Atlanta’s active roster. First extra-base hit of the season for José Abreu. Ultimately, Abreu and his cast had the night they expected. During the Astros' 9-2 victory over the Rangers, the veteran first baseman went 2-for-4. In addition to his multi-hit performance, Abreu hit his first extra-base hit of the season with a double in the fourth inning, scoring minutes later on Mauricio Dubon's grounder. Additionally, he received a walk and scored another run. As a first baseman, Abreu lined up behind Jon Singleton, who was the DH. It will be interesting to see whether Abreu can turn around a disappointing season with this game. Athletics' Aledmys Díaz: Starts running program Díaz has begun a running program as part of his rehabilitation process, the Associated Press reported. The veteran infielder opened the season on the 60-day injured list, so he's seemingly only in the nascent stages of his ramp-up process. Díaz could eventually require a rehab assignment of maximum length whenever he's deemed ready to test himself in game action, given how long he's been sidelined.

Cuban Players News for the 2024 Major League Baseball season. A compilation of several sources Adolis García went 2-for-3 with two runs scored, two RBI and two stolen bases against the Astros on Friday. García went 2-for-3 with two RBI, two runs scored, two steals and two walks in Friday's win over Houston. García has already belted four home runs this season but chose to flash his speed and on-base skills instead Friday. The 31-year-old slugger has just four multi-hit games so far this season despite an impressive .315/.377/.593 slash line. García has two extra-base hits -- both doubles -- over his last seven appearances. Blue Jays' Yariel Rodríguez: Will start Saturday Rodríguez will be recalled from Triple-A Buffalo to start Saturday's game against the Rockies, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports. Rodríguez will be making his MLB debut Saturday, replacing the struggling Bowden Francis as Toronto's starting pitcher. Rodríguez has thrown 6.1 scoreless innings and struck out 10 batters through two starts with Buffalo. If the 27-year-old righty finds success in his first big-league start, he could end up taking Francis' spot in the Jays' rotation. As of yet, Aroldis Chapman has not allowed a run. This Friday, Chapman pitched in a 5-2 Pirates victory over the Phillies. Chapman pitched in the eighth inning. With his fifth hold of the season, Chapman got the two outs of the inning with a strikeout despite walking two and throwing 16 pitches. In that inning, Chapman was well defended. Bryce Harper hit a line drive with two men on base, and Bryan Reynolds made an outstanding fielding catch in right field.  In five innings of work, he has struck out nine while keeping his ERA unchanged. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. went 1-for-4 with a RBI on Friday against the Cardinals. It was a 9-6 loss for the D-backs against the Cardinals. Despite going 1-for-4, Gurriel Jr. drove in a run in the fifth inning with a base hit when Arizona scored six runs. He also scored a run in the fifth. The 30-year-old outfielder has started this year 17-for-56 at the plate with the three homers and 15 RBI while slashing .304/.361/.518. Yordan Alvarez hitless again. Yordan Alvarez went hitless for the second straight night. This time, it was a 12-8 loss at home against the Rangers. In the seventh inning, Alvarez scored. Having gone 1 for 9 in his last three games with no HR and only one RBI, the powerful outfielder is in a mini-slump. With 4 HR and 12 RBI, he is still slashing .310/.394/.569. Padres recalled LHP Adrian Morejón from Triple-A El Paso. The Padres recalled Morejón from Triple-A El Paso on Friday. Morejón pitched two-thirds of an inning during San Diego's series in South Korea but was optioned to Triple-A ahead of its domestic opener. He's given up two runs across 6.1 minor-league frames and will now return to the Padres to provide additional bullpen depth. Pedro Avila was designated for assignment in a corresponding move. White Sox’ general manager Chris Getz told reporters on Friday that Luis Robert Jr. is trending toward a six-week absence. The timeline that the club gave earlier in the week was that the 26-year-old superstar would miss around 6-8 weeks, so it’s encouraging to hear that he’s trending toward the quicker side of that return. It’s much more optimistic than the 3-4 months that Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported that the White Sox had mentioned privately. Barring any setbacks, it sounds like he could be back in action before the end of May. The offensive problems of Yandy Díaz and Randy Arozarena continue. Díaz and Arozarena continued their struggles at the plate this Friday, going 0-for-6 against San Francisco. Díaz went 0 for 3 with an RBI and a walk, while Arozarena drew a walk as well. Díaz is hitting just .196 with a .544 OPS while Arozarena is slashing .204/.278/.347 with 2 HR and 4 RBI in a slow start to the season for both players. White Sox transferred Yoán Moncada to the 60-day injured list. This isn’t a surprise as the initial reports were that Moncada would need three to six months to recover. He joins an already big name list of injuries for the White Sox that also include Luis Robert Jr. and Eloy Jiménez. José Abreu didn't play Friday Abreu didn't play in Friday's game against the Rangers. Abreu has managed just one hit in 18 at-bats across his last six games, so he'll sit down for the second time in a row Friday. Jon Singleton once again took care of his place at first base while batting fifth and went 1-for-4 with double and a run scored. Tigers' Andy Ibáñez: Hitting, doing agility drills Ibáñez has begun hitting and going through light agility drills, Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic reported. Ibáñez is on the injured list with a left hamstring strain which he suffered last weekend but is feeling well enough to start incorporating some baseball activities. There's no timetable for his return yet, but he would seem to have a good shot to be back before the end of April.