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The Cuban pitcher Orlando Ribalta made his debut with a solid performance after being called up to the Major Leagues by the Washington Nationals this Monday, working one inning without allowing any runs, hits, or walks in the 2026 season, according to journalist Francys Romero.
The promotion occurred to cover for Cole Henry, who has been placed on the 15-day injured list due to a strain in his right rotator cuff.
Ribalta faced three batters with 14 pitches, nine of which were strikes, in a game that the Nationals lost 16-5 to the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park.
The Washington bullpen came into that game particularly battered: in addition to Henry, Ken Waldichuk was also placed on the injured list that same day due to strain in his left forearm.
The 28-year-old player arrived at the call with a strong presence from Triple-A Rochester, where he had a record of 1-0, an earned run average of 3.38, and five consecutive scoreless appearances over 5.1 innings pitched.
With his appearance on Monday, Ribalta becomes the 20th Cuban to take the field in the 2026 Major League Baseball season, a figure that reflects the increasing presence of Cuban players in the best baseball in the world.
Among the other 19 Cubans who had already performed in 2026 are Yordan Álvarez (Houston Astros), Jorge Soler (Los Angeles Angels), Luis Robert Jr. (New York Mets), Andy Pagés (Los Angeles Dodgers), Randy Arozarena (Seattle Mariners), and Aroldis Chapman (Boston Red Sox), among others.
Ribalta, born on March 5, 1998 in Santo Domingo, Villa Clara, was selected in the twelfth round of the 2019 MLB amateur draft by the Nationals themselves and has a fastball that reaches between 96 and 97 miles per hour.
His debut in Major League Baseball occurred on August 13, 2024, and between that season and the 2025 season, he accumulated 26 appearances with 27.2 innings pitched, 28 strikeouts, and an earned run average of 7.81.
In 2025, he had four promotions with Washington, including for the first time a spot on the Opening Day roster.
For the 2026 season, he was selected to Triple-A Rochester on March 23, but his consistent performance in the minor leagues once again opened the doors to the highest level.
The Cuban presence in MLB continues to break records: on Opening Day of the 2025 season, Cuba set a historic record with 26 players on the rosters of Major League Baseball, and the 2026 campaign is expected to maintain this trend with at least 20 players in action in just the first few weeks of the year.
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