As the third week of the regular season for the Liga Venezolana de Béisbol Profesional (LVBP) progresses, here is a look at the top news and notes from the beginning of the week in Winter League Baseball.
Yonathan Daza Out for 10 Days with Left Shoulder Injury
On Saturday, during a matchup between the Leones del Caracas and the Tigres de Aragua, Yonathan Daza of the Leones suffered a blow to his left shoulder during a play in center field. He will be out for ten days at minimum.
According to the head trainer of the Leones del Caracas, José Luis Vilera, Daza dislocated the “left acromioclavicular joint,” which connects the acromion in the shoulder blade with the clavicle. Therapy could keep his absence at only ten days, but according to Vilera, “If he decides to go into surgery, he will have to be out for four to six weeks while he finishes recovering.”
The injury occurred when Daza collided with fellow outfielder Oswaldo Arcia while trying to catch a strong hit from Angel Aguilar that was driven between the center and right field alley. The Leones would end up losing the game to Aragua, 6-4.
Leones del Caracas Expected to Get Reinforcements
The Leones could recover their strength fairly quickly despite Yonathan Daza’s injury, with the help of a few Major Leaguers. According to the Leones del Caracas front office, it is expected that Orlando Arcia of the Atlanta Braves, Albert Suárez and Liván Soto of the Baltimore Orioles, as well as Carlos Hernández and Salvador Pérez of the Kansas City Royals, could be joining the team on a short-term basis.
The details of the signings are not final, but things are looking bright for Caracas. Víctor Gárate, the Leones manager, stated he spoke with Carlos Hernández, saying, “I have been talking to Carlos these past few days. He will most likely be with us when we get back from Miami, the first day we are in Venezuela, around November 11 or 12.”
Caracas will play against Magallanes, two teams from the Puerto Rican League, and one team from the Dominican Republic in the “Clash of the Giants” series at loanDepot Park in Miami, Florida. Given this, the Leones can expect MLB reinforcements in mid-to-late November.
Finalists for the Luis Aparicio Award Named
Five finalists have been chosen by the organizing committee on Monday for the Luis Aparicio Award, given to the best Venezuelan baseball player in Major League Baseball (MLB), who recorded the best individual performance each year. This year’s finalists are spearheaded by two former winners of the award: Salvador Pérez and Luis Arráez. Others in the mix include Anthony Santander, Jackson Churio, and William Contreras.
Arráez’s case for winning the award this year is strong. He led Venezuelan players in hits with 200 and in batting average, posting a .314. He also led the National League in hits and batting average, becoming the first player to win three consecutive batting titles with different teams. Pérez’s case is also very strong. For the second time in his career, he surpassed 100 runs batted in and posted a .271 batting average with 27 home runs. Leading Venezuelan players in home runs is Anthony Santander, hitting 44 bombs and 102 RBIs. Jackson Chourio had a rookie season to remember, being the youngest player in history to join the 20-20 club, hitting 21 home runs and stealing 22 bases while posting a .275 batting average and getting 79 RBIs. William Contreras rounds out the list of final candidates, posting a .281 batting average, with 99 runs scored, 37 doubles, 23 home runs, and 92 RBIs.
The winner of the Luis Aparicio Award will be announced after Game 2 of MLB’s World Series on Saturday, October 26.
LVBP Standings as of October 22:
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Photo Credit: Leones del Caracas’s (LVBP) baseball player Jose Rondon bats. (Photo by FEDERICO PARRA/AFP via Getty Images)
