Sources have confided in the Cuban Baseball Digest that power-hitting infielder Ariel Hechavarría has signed with the Lideres de Miranda of the Venezuelan Liga Mayor of Béisbol Profesional for the upcoming season, joining his countrymen Dayán García on the team’s roster.
In the last Serie Nacional the slugger hit .337 with nine longballs, 34 runs batted in and slashed .409/.535/.944 in 220 trips to the plate with Havana’s Industriales. Hechavarría also slugged eight doubles and 100 total bases.
In other notes infielder Guillermo Avilés will not be reporting to the Samanes de Aragua due to a knee injury he sustained earlier this month and it will require that he have surgery to repair. Avilés was supposed to be a big part of the team’s lineup heading into the season.
Cubans signed in the LMBP:
RHP César García (Aragua)
RHP Yusniel Padrón (Aragua)
RHP Armando Dueñas (Aragua)
IF Dayán García (Miranda)
IF Ariel Hechavarría (Miranda)
IF Yoel Yanqui (Carabobo)
RHP Yuniesky García (Carabobo)
RHP Javier Mirabal (Carabobo)
Miguel Romero RHP (Delfines de La Guaira)
LHP Darién Núñez (Delfines de La Guaira)
LHP Raúl Valdés (Centauros de La Guaira)