Yera.Photo: Yuhki Ohboshi

The logic of not demanding him in the face of a last-minute inconvenience defined that it is not the right-hander José Ramón Rodríguez who opens the game with which Cuba will debut its cross-border blanks towards the V World Baseball Classic.

The match is scheduled for this Friday against the second division team of Nipoon Ham Wrestlers, from the Japanese professional league, and the responsibility of starting it will be in the hands of left-handed Yoenni Yera.

Coach Pedro Luis Lazo confirmed that Javier Mirabal (reserve), Yeudis Reyes and Franklyn Quintana (reserve) remain in the plans to work later, without ruling out other options for closing the duel.

Regarding Rodríguez's injury, Dr. Francisco Montesinos explained that it was generated during the warm-up, located in the segments of the lumbar vertebrae, without irradiation to other points.

"He is undergoing treatment and has evolved, but we want to give him the necessary time to fully recover," he added.

"It is not something serious, but it requires a waiting period," said the specialist.

This Thursday it was also confirmed that the Island team will receive infielders Bárbaro Erisbel Arruebarruena and Yadil Mujica that night, as part of the recruitment process that will continue in Taiwan.

Likewise, hard work was done on the field, with emphasis on defensive actions and the running of the bases, and controls were applied to evaluate the assimilation of the seven training sessions covered on Japanese soil.

Although the results will have a more restful reading, the coach Ricardo Eizmendiz announced that this period already leaves positive balances, with high rates such as use, use of technology and conditioning to the time difference.

The second of the five preparatory clashes agreed with teams from this country will take place on Sunday against Dragones de Chunichi, which in December renewed the contracts of Cubans Yariel Rodríguez, Frank Abel Álvarez, Pedro Pablo Revilla and Guillermo García.

(Taken from JIT)