On Friday night, the Toros del Este lost 6-2 to the Aguilas Cibaenas as the two teams battled down the stretch run of the LIDOM round robin playoff for the second berth in the championship series.
Following the game, the Toros protested the game, citing the Aguilas Cibaenas having nine imported players on the game roster when only eight imports are allowed under LIDOM rules. Six of the nine non-Dominican players on the game roster made appearances in the contest for the Aguilas.
On Sunday morning, LIDOM President Vitelio Mejia announced that the Toros’ protest was upheld, and that the result of the game played Friday evening would be annulled. He did not, however, go so far as to declare the game a forfeit win for the Toros, instead ruling that the game would be replayed if necessary, depending upon the result of the final game of the round robin between the Aguilas Cibaenas and Leones del Escogido.
“This presidency verified that the registration in the roster by Águilas Cibaeñas of a greater number of foreign players than the eight (8) allowed constitutes a violation of the regulations,” the league said in a statement released Sunday morning. “That in view of all the above, the game held on Jan. 16, 2026, between Toros del Este and Águilas Cibaeñas was annulled, which must be played again if necessary.”
The Aguilas issued a statement Sunday afternoon prior to the start of what is now their 17th game of the round robin, noting that the roster the team filed for Friday’s game was approved by the league’s technical director, Jorge Flores.
“At no point, between the time the roster was sent to LIDOM and the time the approved roster was sent to the teams, were we informed that there was an error in it and that we needed to correct it,” the statement from the Aguilas said in Spanish. “Even having received the approved document with sufficient time, the Toros del Este team could have reviewed and identified the error and reported it to LIDOM, which they did not do. Instead, they accepted the roster as valid.”
The Aguilas organization contended that the Toros only took issue with the roster once they were losing the game and requested the game be forfeited, an action the Aguilas termed disproportionate. The team noted that of the nine imported players on the game roster, only six played, and all the players were properly registered with the league.
Mejia upheld the protest as valid, but stopped short of forfeiting the game to the Toros, which would have made Sunday’s rescheduled game between the Aguilas and the Leones del Escogido, postponed from Saturday because of rain in Santo Domingo, irrelevant.
Instead, the game will be played, likely on Monday, should the Aguilas Cibaenas knock off the Leones on Sunday afternoon. The Leones have already clinched a berth in the LIDOM championship series. An Aguilas win on Sunday would give them a 10-7 record, putting them a half-game behind the Toros, necessitating the annulled game be played, according to a report in Dominican newspaper Listin Diario by Hector J. Cruz.
Should the Aguilas win against Escogido on Sunday, they would have to beat the Toros on Monday, and then beat them again in a tiebreaker game on Tuesday to earn a berth against Escogido in the best-of-seven championship series, while a loss Sunday or a loss in either potential game against the Toros would end their season. The statement from the Aguilas carried the implication that if they won today, they would only agree to play a tiebreaker game against the Toros.
Las Águilas no aceptan la decisión, y dejan claro que si ganan hoy solo jugarán el juego de desempate. pic.twitter.com/KE5dzH88Sf
— Mike Rodriguez (@mikedeportes) January 18, 2026
“In any case, some type of administrative or even financial sanction should have been imposed, but never one with direct sporting consequences,” the Aguilas’ statement said. “The Águilas Cibaeñas, and especially their players, urge the LIDOM presidency to reconsider its decision, withdraw it, and proceed to make another based on due proportionality in relation to the minor error committed, which did not influence the outcome of the game on Friday, January 16. We hope that the winner of this winter tournament will be determined by their performance on the field and not by disproportionate decisions made behind closed doors regarding the application of the rules.”
Photo: Toros del Este manager Victor Estevez protested Friday’s game against the Aguilas Cibaenas, which the Toros lost 8-6, citing the Aguilas having nine foreign players on the roster. The protest was upheld by LIDOM president Vitelio Mejia. (Photo courtesy of LIDOM)
