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Yuliesky Gurriel to make his debut Sunday
Sunday’s Say Hey, Baseball includes the next top Cuban player to debut, the Rangers adding their rival’s former outfielder, and Rob Manfred ignoring the obvious
Photo by Koji Watanabe/Getty Images
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The Astros made their big splash at the deadline not through trade, but by signing Cuban superstar Yulieski Gurriel. Houston found themselves in the thick of the playoff hunt at the time, and opted to keep their young talent and sign an unknown asset instead. Of course, since Gurriel hadn’t played professional ball in a while, he needed some time in the minors to shake off the rust. Apparently he’s gotten all of the time he needed, as the Astros are set to call up the 32-year-old for Sunday’s game against the Orioles.
Gurriel has played all of 15 games against minor league competition, splitting time between four different levels. Amassing 61 plate appearances in that span, he slashed .250/.262/.429. While that’s a somewhat disappointing performance for someone as heralded as he is, it’s obviously a tiny sample. We are talking about one of the best Cuban hitters in recent history, as he put up a career .997 OPS in the Series Nacional, the country’s top professional league.
The Astros could really use the kind of performance he put up in his home country. After Saturday’s win in Baltimore, they find themselves 4.5 games behind those same Orioles for the second Wild Card spot, tied with the Yankees and Royals while trailing the Mariners and Tigers. It’s still unclear where Gurriel will play on a regular basis to close out this season, though he will slot into the designated hitter spot in his major league debut. Looking at the team’s current roster, left field and first base could be the most obvious slots since Alex Bregman is already manning third. Houston needs a spark if they’re going to make a run into the postseason, and Gurriel has the talent to provide it.
- The AL West-leading Rangers did make some key acquisitions at the deadline, and they’ve added a little more talent by signing former Astro Carlos Gomez.
- Rob Manfred has some suggestions to improve baseball. Unfortunately, he’s avoiding the most obvious solution to increase popularity.
- Not only does Kris Bryant have the most enviable eyes in baseball, but he’s probably the favorite for the NL MVP.
- In fact, Bryant is making his way up the list of best all-around players in the game.
- If you were to award individual team MVPs, Francisco Lindor would likely get your vote for Cleveland’s. However, a fellow infielder may have an argument.
- Jhonny Peralta missed the beginning of the season, and he’s been a big disappointment since he returned to St. Louis’ lineup.
- Why is Gerrit Cole having so much trouble against left-handed hitters?
- The Marlins find themselves in the thick of the playoff race thanks to a couple of former Yankees.
- Some rare good news in the Dodgers’ pitching staff: Clayton Kershaw is progressing well from his injury.
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