MLB 2022 | Cuban Players News

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

Raisel Iglesias (Photo: Bob Levey/Getty Images)

May 13, 2022

Raisel Iglesias hurled a scoreless ninth to pick up a save Friday against the Athletics.

Iglesias didn't allow a hit, and he struck out one without issuing a walk. It's the eighth save of the year for the right-hander, and this marks the 12th time in 14 appearances that he hasn't allowed a run. He remains an elite closing option for a team that has looked among the best in baseball to begin 2022.

Yordan Álvarez went 2-for-4 with his 11th homer and two RBI against the Nationals in Friday's win.

Álvarez is suddenly all of the way up to .280/.381/.640 for the season. Expect him to remain one of the AL's best hitters all year long.

Aledmys Díaz went 0-for-4 on Friday in his return to the Astros' lineup.

Díaz was back at shortstop in place of injured rookie Jeremy Peña on Friday evening after missing nearly a week due to an undisclosed injury. He'll continue to fill-in temporarily at shortstop until Peña is ready to return.

Rays' Randy Arozarena: Nabs sixth steal.

Arozarena went 0-for-3 with a walk and a stolen base in Friday's 5-2 win over the Blue Jays.

Three of Arozarena's six steals on the year have come in the last nine games, but he otherwise is struggling to make an impact. The 27-year-old is slashing .218/.265/.339 on the season with one homer, nine RBI and 14 runs through 32 contests.

Luis Robert added two hits Friday night, José Abreu went blank, and Yoán Moncada collected a single.

Luis Robert went 2-for-4 with two runs on Friday night loss against the Yankees. The Cuban center fielder elevated his BA to .287 and is slashing .287/.323/.447 with 4 HR and 9 RBI for the season. On the other hand, first baseman José Abreu went 0-for-3 and a walk against Gerrit Cole and the Yankees bullpen. Abreu is hitting .202 for the year. The other Cuban in the White Sox's lineup for Friday's game was Yoán Moncada, whom looked really good defensively at third base, and went 1-for-4 with three strikeouts. Moncada, added to Chicago's active roster this week, is hitting .235.

Yuli Gurriel delivered his first homer of the season Friday in a win over the Nationals.

Gurriel, the AL batting champ a year ago, came into the night at just .198/.243/.307 on the season, so he was a little overdue. There's a decent chance he'll go back to being somewhat useful in mixed leagues, though at age 38, it's far from a given.

Reds' Vladimir Gutiérrez: Moving to bullpen

Manager David Bell said Friday that Gutiérrez will shift to a bullpen role, Charlie Goldsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports. Gutiérrez's first six starts of the season came as a starter, but he posted an 8.65 ERA and 1.96 WHIP in 26 innings while settling for an 0-5 record. The right-hander will presumably serve as a middle reliever out of the bullpen, while Connor Overton will remain in the rotation. Gutiérrez will likely be an option to serve as a spot starter at some point if needed.

Rays manager Kevin Cash is hopeful that Yandy Díaz (illness) won't be sidelined for long.

Díaz was scratched from Friday's lineup with a non-COVID illness. Cash said he's hopeful and optimistic that the infielder could be available as soon as Saturday. Either way, it doesn't sound like a long-term concern.

Grandal didn't start Friday against the Yankees.

Grandal has gone just 1-for-11 with two runs, three walks and five strikeouts over the last three games, and he got his first day off since April 22. Reese McGuire started behind the plate and batted ninth.

Yadiel Hernández was out of the lineup for Friday's game versus Houston.

Hernández started the past five games but took a seat after going 3-for-16 with a solo homer during that stretch. Lane Thomas was in left field.