One week before the start of the 1st Cuban Baseball Elite League, the case of Dánel Castro continues without a definitive solution; although, now, a happy ending seems possible.
Las Tunas, Cuba. - The 46-year-old player is one step closer to playing with Centrales, along with players from Matanzas, Cienfuegos, and Villa Clara, at the express request of mentor Armando Ferrer. At least, that is the conclusion that can be drawn from the latest provision of the National Baseball Commission (CNB) in this regard.
Without mentioning the athlete from Las Tunas, the CNB announced that on the day of the technical congress, each of the managers may include a player from another geographical area, as long as he was included in the initial lists from which each roster was formed, and if is not requested at the last minute by the director of the team to which its province belongs.
Dánel Castro was not included in the list of 22 men of interest to the CNB, but he did in the bag from which Carlos Martí chose the last 10 members of Agricultores.
If the call of the star of the Leñadores to the Centrales ranks materializes, it would surely take several days for Dánel to be in full sporting shape for the competition, although he has not neglected his physical preparation.
With 2,364 hits throughout his career, the man born in Manatí is only 15 away from breaking the absolute record, held by Enrique Díaz, from the capital.
AGRICULTORES TRAINS IN LAS TUNAS
Regarding Agricultores, the group of 32 players moved their training sessions this week to the Julio Antonio Mella Stadium since the "Mártires de Barbados" was the venue for the National Women's Baseball Championship.
The 13 players from Las Tunas that make up the squad met at the house of the Leñadores, as pitcher Carlos Juan Viera returned after his performance in the Mexican League.
Likewise, slugger Rafael Viñales joined, who was seen training in the left field, his future position in Carlos Martí's line-up. The versatility of Viñales, who also plays as catcher and first baseman, allows the coaching staff to reserve the first base for Guillermo Avilés and have two masked men with international experiences, such as Yosvani Alarcón and Iván Prieto.
Among the little information about the Agricultores enlistment phase, it was possible to learn of a 3x1 victory against Cafetaleros, in which the right-hander Yasel Labrada scored the success, while Denis Peña drove in a couple of runs.
