MLB 2022 | Cano rejoins O's bullpen but ineffective, Díaz bothered by shoulder, and more

Daily Major League Baseball (MLB) Cuban Players News for the 2022 season. A compendium from several MLB sources.

Yennier Cano. (Photo: G. Fiume/Getty Images)

Oct 3, 2022

Lourdes Gurriel Jr. (hamstring) did some running and other baseball activities "at a better intensity level" Monday, per Blue Jays interim manager John Schneider.

It looks like Gurriel has a good shot to be back for the start of the postseason and he could even get in a little regular season action this week to knock some rust off. He's been out since early September with a left hamstring strain.

Orioles' Yennier Cano: Rejoined big-league bullpen. The Orioles recalled Cano from Triple-A Norfolk on Monday. He rejoined the Baltimore bullpen as a replacement for closer Félix Bautista (knee), who was placed on the 15-day injured list. Dillon Tate is likely the leading candidate to get the first crack at any save chances the Orioles get over the final three games of the season. On Monday's night against the Blue Jays, Cano allowed Matt Chapman's 2-out RBI single to give the Jays a 5-1 lead. He pitched 2/3 innings allowing two hits, one earned run, with two walks and a strikeout. His ERA this year is an enormous 12.38.

Astros' Yulieski Gurriel, Yordan Álvarez, and Aledmis Díaz: One hit on Monday.

Gurriel, Álvarez, and Díaz went 1-for-8 combined on Monday's 3-0 loss to the Phillies. Díaz struck out once while Álvarez took two strikeouts.

Yandy Díaz (shoulder) is absent from the Rays' starting lineup for Monday's series opener against the Red Sox.

Díaz has missed 11 of the Rays' last 12 games due to a lingering left shoulder issue and will sit out Monday's series opener at Fenway Park. It seems highly unlikely that he'll return before the regular season wraps up later this week. It'll be Isaac Paredes taking over at the hot corner in his absence.

Ray's Randy Arozarena: Hitless on Monday.

Arozarena went 0-for-4 with a strikeout Monday in a 4-3 loss to the Red Sox. Arozarena slash line is now .262/.326/.445 with 20 HR, 89 RBI, and 32 steals in 44 attempts. He will be key in Ray's 2022 lineup postseason.

White Sox's Yasmani Grandal: Did not start Monday. Abreu and Moncada: One hit. Grandal wasn't in the lineup Monday against the Twins. Grandal's playing time has decreased recently, and he'll be on the bench for the third time in the last four games. Carlos Pérez started behind the plate and batted ninth. In the same game José Abreu and Yoán Moncada went 1-for-7 combined. Abreu added his double #39 of the year and also walked. Moncada took two strikeouts reaching 113 in 102 games this year.

Reds' José Barrero: Playing time on rise. Barrero started at shortstop and batted eighth in Monday's game against the Cubs. He went 0-for-2 with a walk, a stolen base, a run, and a strikeout. Before resting in Sunday's 8-1 loss to Chicago, Barrero had started in each of the past five games. He was back in the lineup as the series with the Cubs shifted to Cincinnati, but the 24-year-old hasn't done much to prove that he's deserving of a full-time role heading into 2023. Over his last 13 games, Barrero has gone 5-for-43 with a 48.8 percent strikeout rate.

Rockies' José Iglesias: Was not in Monday's lineup. Iglesias wasn't in Monday's lineup against the Dodgers. Iglesias has gone 1-for-12 with a strikeout over three games since returning from the injured list, and headed to the bench for a second consecutive matchup. Brendan Rodgers served as the designated hitter and batted third.

Yankees' Aroldis Chapman: Control struggles continue. Chapman (3-4) took the loss against Baltimore on Sunday, allowing two runs on one hit and three walks in one-third of an inning. The only out he recorded was by strikeout. Chapman entered with the score tied 1-1 in the seventh inning and allowed a leadoff single. He then issued two walks to load the bases before striking out Ryan Mountcastle. The veteran reliever couldn't follow up on that successful out, however, as he next walked Gunnar Henderson to allow the go-ahead run to cross the plate. Altogether, Chapman tossed just 12 of 26 pitches for strikes, and this was the fourth time in his past eight outings that he's walked multiple batters. He's posted an awful 7.1 BB/9 over 35.1 innings on the season, and Bryan Hoch of MLB.com suggests that Chapman is in danger of missing out on the Yankees' postseason roster.