Yadir Drake confirmed last night to the Cuban Baseball Digest that he would night be playing the Pan-American Games this coming October in Santiago de Chile. The slugger cited a small injury that was preventing him from playing, plus his winter league squad, the Algodoneros de Guasave asked him not to participate.
During last winter league season, Drake played with Yaquis de Obregon in the Liga ARCO Mexicana del Pacífico where in 65 games he hit .273 with 12 doubles, six home runs, 42 RBI, 12 stolen bases, and walked 23 times. This season the outfielder-first baseman will return to Guasave after a brief courtship by the Águilas Cibaeñas of the LIDOM.
Fuentes: El toletero matancero @yadir_drake no jugará con Cuba en los Juegos Panamericanos este octubre en Santiago de Chile. Su equipo invernal lo paró debido a una ligera lesión. #pelotacubana #PanAm pic.twitter.com/SRJcmdwtYg
— Yusseff305 🇨🇺🇺🇲 (@yusseff305) October 6, 2023
Drake played for Cuba in the 2023 World Baseball Classic during March, where he played in six games batting .381 in 21 at-bats he recorded eight hits, two doubles, two RBI, and two walks helping Cuba reach the semifinals. In the Cuban’s third season with Leones de Yucatan this summer in the Liga Mexicana de Béisbol, he hit .360 with six longballs and 66 runs batted in and slashed .426/.478/.903.
During the inaugural WBSC Baseball Champions League with those same felines last week the slugger led the tournament with two homers and was second with four RBIs. Drake has also seen international action with the Mexican National Team during the 2015 Premier 12.