11/23 Winter League Results: Lagares Nearing Return, Mejia Struggles With Command

Mexican Pacific League (LMP)

Tomateros de Culiacan 9 – 8 Mayos de Navojoa
Yaquis de Obregon 5 – 3 Naranjeros de Hermosillo
Charros de Jalisco 12 – 4 Aguilas de Mexicali
Caneros de Los Mochis 6 – 3 Venados de Mazatlan

Venezuelan Winter League (LVBP)

Leones del Caracas 4 – 2 Cardenales de Lara
Navegantes de Magallanes 13 – 2 Tigres de Aragua
Tiburones de La Guaira 6 – 0 Caribes de Anzoategui

Dominican Winter League (LIDOM)

Tigres del Licey 4- 2 Estrellas Orientales
Aguilas Cibaenas 3 – 2 Leones del Escogido

According to reports out of the Dominican Republic, after a few successful games in the parallel league, the Aguilas are planning on activating outfielder Juan Lagares on Monday, November 26th when the team’s next roster update is due.

The center fielder got hurt in mid-May as he stubbed his toe on the center field wall and broke it, requiring surgery. Up until that point, he was having a very strong season, hitting .339/.375/.390 with no home runs and six RBI in 59 at-bats to give him a 112 wRC+.

On the defensive side of things, he already had accumulated five defensive runs saved and a 1.4 UZR to finish out his season with a 1.0 WAR.

Gigantes del Cibao 6 – 4 Toros del Este

1B Joey Terdoslavich: 2-for-4, R, K
RHP Jenrry Mejia: 2.1 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 1 K

While his stat line in this one did not look good, Mejia’s stuff looked really good in what was a short and inefficient start for him. Mejia had both his curve-ball and his sinking fastball dancing as he generated a lot of swinging strikes, however, he did struggle with the command of both pitches. In his 2.1 innings of work, he ended up tossing a whopping 52 pitches as he had trouble throwing strikes at various times in the game.

Mejia’s first inning of work included a lead-off walk but was followed by two line-outs and a strikeout despite the runner reaching third base on a stolen base and a throwing error by the catcher. Mejia would walk two more in the second inning, with one of them scoring on a two-out weakly hit blooper over the second baseman’s head to give the Gigantes a 1-0 lead.

The Toros would tie it back up in the third inning, but a lead-off single by Joey Terdoslavich would turn into another run for the Gigantes on a very strange next play. The next batter hit a long fly ball to center field that should have been caught, but center fielder Franklin Rollin, got turned around and lost track of the ball allowing it to fly over his head and to the wall. Terdoslavich recognized the misplay and raced around the bases in an attempt to score, but, after he rounded third he ended up running over the home plate umpire and falling down in between third base and home plate.

After a lengthy deliberation, the umpiring crew awarded Terdoslavich home plate thus tacking on another run to Mejia’s ledger and leading to his removal from the game.