By Matthew Tallarini
World Baseball Network
Cuban outfielder Yadiel Hernandez signed with the Tecolotes de los Dos Laredos for the 2024 Liga Mexicana de Beisbol regular season.
Hernandez, 36, was born in Matanzas, Cuba, and played three seasons in Major League Baseball with the Washington Nationals from 2020-22.
Last year, Hernandez played for the Sultanes de Monterrey. This will be his second season in the LMB.
This past winter, at the 2024 Caribbean Series in Miami, Hernandez played in seven games with the LIDOM champion Tigres del Licey and batted .227, scoring two runs, recording five hits, one RBI, one walk, and four strikeouts.
Hernandez started the 2023 season with Triple-A Rochester with the Nationals organization and played in 10 games. He batted .205 with eight hits, two doubles, four RBI, one walk, and 15 strikeouts before he was released on April 17, 2023.
During the 2023-24 LIDOM season with the Aguilas Cibaenas, Hernandez played in 48 games, hitting .302 with 199 plate appearances. He smacked 51 hits, seven doubles, 20 RBI, 28 walks, 12 strikeouts, and a .750 OPS.
The Sultanes de Monterrey signed Hernandez in May. He played in 64 games and made 257 plate appearances, hitting .281 with 64 hits, eight doubles, one triple, 39 RBi, 24 walks, 47 strikeouts, and a .747 OPS.
The Sultanes de Monterrey clinched second place in the Zona Norte in 2023 with a 50-38 record and lost in the first round of the LMB Playoffs to the Algodoneros de Unión Laguna in seven games.
With Washington in 2022 season, Hernandez played in 94 games, hitting .269 with 327 plate appearances, recording 82 hits, 16 doubles, nine home runs, 41 RBI, 19 walks, 74 strikeouts, and a .722 OPS.
Hernandez landed on the 60-day injured list with a left calf strain on Aug. 27, 2022 and was sidelined for the rest of the season.
In three seasons in MLB, Hernandez has a career average of .267 in 218 games with 644 plate appearances, 159 hits, 27 doubles, one triple, 19 home runs, 79 RBI, 42 walks, 145 strikeouts, and a .727 OPS.
The first game of the 2024 LMB regular season is scheduled for April 11 when the Diablos Rojos del México travel to Puebla, Mexico, to take on the Pericos de Puebla at Estadio Hermanos Serdán.
The Tecolotes de los Dos Laredos will play their first game of the 2024 season at home on April 12 against the Acereros de Monclova at Uni-Trade Stadium in Laredo, Texas. The game start times have not yet been announced.