MLB 2022 | Yoán Moncada homered, Yordan resumes hitting, Abreu two more hits, and more

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

Yoán Moncada. (Photo: Chicago White Sox' Twitter)

Jul 17, 2022

Yoán Moncada homered and doubled versus the Twins on Sunday.

Moncada went 9-for-20 in the series versus the Twins, raising his average to .213. That might not seem like much, but he spent much of June in the .130s and .140s. He's still not quite hitting for as much power as he's capable of, but he's been quite effective overall for a month now.

Randy Arozarena went 2-for-4 with a two-run homer on Sunday in the Rays' win over the Orioles.

Arozarena kicked off the scoring with a colossal two-run shot to straightaway center field -- his 12th long ball of the season -- against Orioles' starter Jordan Lyles in the opening frame. The 27-year-old five-category fantasy stalwart finishes the first half with a solid .254/.314/.431 triple-slash line to go along with 42 runs scored, 12 homers, 43 RBI and 19 stolen bases, which is just one shy of his previous career-high mark established last year.

White Sox's Luis Robert: Was out of lineup Sunday. Robert (head) was not in the starting lineup for Sunday's contest against the Twins. As expected, Robert will miss Sunday's contest while dealing with lightheadedness. Adam Engel started in center field and batted ninth in the final game before the All-Star break. According to Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times, Robert has made no meaningful progress since Saturday, but the upcoming break could provide him with enough recovery time before the White Sox open their second-half schedule Friday versus the Guardians.

Yasmani Grandal (back) went 0-for-2 with three walks on Sunday in a minor league rehab game for Triple-A Charlotte.

Grandal has been out since mid-June due to back spasms and appears close to returning to the White Sox' lineup following the All-Star break. The 33-year-old on-base machine has played in six rehab games for Triple-A Charlotte over the last week.

Yordan Álvarez hit Sunday for the first time since landing on the injured list.

It seems Álvarez was ready to test his sore hand and began hitting for the first time since landing on the 10-day injured list. He'll likely be re-evaluated over the All-Star break. Álvarez's inflamed right hand will prevent him from partaking in All-Star festivities during the upcoming week, so rather than heading to Los Angeles for the Midsummer Classic, the 25-year-old slugger will remain in Houston to receive treatment. Baker said that he's hopeful to have Álvarez available for the Astros' doubleheader with the Yankees on Thursday to open the team's second-half slate, but Álvarez's availability for either contest will hinge on how his hand responds to hitting activities over the next few days.

White Sox' José Abreu: Keeps hitting.

Abreu is not stopping at the plate and on Sunday he went 2-for-5 with a run scored in a win 11-0 over the Twins. Abreu elevated his BA to .304 for the year and his slash line over the last 15 games is an amazing .390/.431/.576. Abreu ended the first half of the 2022 season slashing .304/.387/.470 with 105 hits including 11 HR, 24 2B and 46 RBI. He is in pace to another fantastic season with the White Sox uniform.

Rays' Yandy Díaz: Day off Sunday. Díaz (forearm) was not in the starting lineup for Sunday's contest against the Orioles, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports. Díaz was hit by a pitch in the ninth inning of Saturday's game, and although he was reported to be alright, but the Rays gave him a day off Sunday ahead of the All-Star break. Isaac Paredes took over at third base and batted fifth versus the Orioles.

Nationals' Yadiel Hernández: Hitless on Sunday.

Yadiel Hernández was back in the Nats lineup for Sunday's game against the Braves and the Cuban outfielder went 1-for-0 with a strikeout and a walk. Hernández was removed from the game in the sixth inning for pinch hitter Lane Thomas.

Orioles' Cionel Pérez: Settles for hold. Pérez walked one and struck out one in two-thirds of an inning, earning a hold in Saturday's 6-4 extra-innings win over the Rays. Pérez was brought in to protect a two-run lead in the 11th inning, but he put a man aboard and faced only the minimum three batters. Joey Krehbiel then got the final out to secure the save. With five holds and two runs allowed in eight appearances in July, Pérez continues to function in a setup role. He has a 1.45 ERA, 1.23 WHIP and 28:12 K:BB across 31 innings overall while notching one save, 14 holds and a 4-1 record in 37 outings. As it stands, Pérez is the Orioles' top high-leverage lefty.