Yosver Zulueta of the Toronto Blue Jays pitches during the SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game at T-Mobile Park on July 08, 2023 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)
Right-handed pitcher Yosver Zulueta, a top prospect according to MLBpipeleline.com in the Toronto Blue Jays organization, will play for the Leones del Escogido in the the 2023-24 Liga de Béisbol Profesional de la República Dominicana regular season, reporter Francys Romero of Beisbolfr.com stated on Sunday.
Zulueta, 25, was born in Remedios, Cuba, and spent this past season with Triple-A Buffalo, posting a 4.08 ERA with a 4-4 record, starting seven games and making 45 appearances, throwing 64 innings and allowing 53 hits, 29 earned runs, one home run, 45 walks and striking out 73 batters with a 1.531 WHIP.
In 2022, Zulueta spent his second professional season at four different levels: Low-A Dunedin, High-A Vancouver, Double-A New Hampshire, and Triple-A Buffalo. Zulueta went 2-5 with a 3.72 ERA, appearing in 21 games with 12 starts, throwing 55.2 innings and allowing 40 hits, 23 earned runs, two home runs, 32 walks, and 84 strikeouts with a 1.293 WHIP.
During the 2021 season, Zulueta returned from Tommy John surgery, which he underwent in 2019, and he missed 2020 when the COVID-19 Pandemic cancelled the minor league season. Zulueta only started in one game with Low-A Dunedin before the organization placed him on the 7-day injured list on May 6, 2021 which resulted in him being out for the rest of his first professional season.
Zulueta signed with the Blue Jays on June 11, 2019 after he fled Cuba for Haiti after the 2018-19 Serie Nacional winter league season. He was assigned to the Dominican Summer League complex on the same day.
Zulueta played three seasons in Serie Nacional with Naranjas de Villa Clara and Alazanes de Granma from 2016-19. In three seasons in Serie Nacional, Zulueta went 10-11 with a 3.14 ERA, starting in 25 games and making 41 appearances, throwing 152 innings while allowing 120 hits, 53 earned runs, seven home runs, 106 walks, and 139 strikeouts with a 1.487 WHIP.
The 2023-24 LIDOM regular season will start on October 19, with three games slated for opening day. The Santo Domingo series between the Leones del Escogido and the Tigres del Licey will be at Estadio Quisqueya Juan Marichal at 7:15 p.m. EDT. The Gigantes del Cibao will travel to Santiago to play the Aguilas Cibaenas at 7:30 p.m. EDT at Estadio Cibao. The Toros del Este will play the Estrellas Orientales a 7:30 p.m. EDT at Estadio Tetelo Vargas.
All LIDOM regular season games will be streamed on MLB.tv until the final out of the best-of-seven championship series in January, shortly before the 2024 Caribbean Series in Miami at loanDepot Park from February 1-9.