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The Cuban pitcher Luis Danys Morales was called up to the Major Leagues again by the Athletics on Saturday, after being summoned from Triple-A Las Vegas Aviators, according to a report by Pelota Cubana on their social media.
The return to the highest level comes at a time of uncertainty. As the source noted, "the return is coming... but with many doubts."
In his early outings of the 2026 MLB season, Morales has a record of 0-2 with an earned run average (ERA) of 12.27 over 7.1 innings pitched, eight walks, only five strikeouts, an opponent batting average of .394, and a WHIP of 2.86.
His time in Triple-A also showed no signs of recovery: in three starts with Las Vegas, he recorded a 0-1 record, an ERA of 8.76, 12.1 innings pitched, nine walks, and eight strikeouts, with an opponent batting average of .346.
The main issue consistently identified by the scouts is the control and command failures, a weakness that has followed the pitcher throughout his career and has intensified at the start of this season.
The contrast with 2025 is significant. In his rookie season, Morales was one of the standout players for the Athletics: he finished with a record of 4-3, an ERA of 3.14, 48.2 innings pitched, 43 strikeouts, and a WHIP of 1.15 over 10 games.
On August 17, 2025, he achieved his first victory in MLB, pitching five innings with one earned run, two walks, and five strikeouts. At 22 years and 327 days old, he became the youngest Cuban starting pitcher to win in the Major Leagues since José Fernández in 2014, according to journalist Francys Romero.
Those numbers generated high expectations for 2026, but the start of the season has not lived up to them.
Morales, born on September 24, 2002, in Antilla, Cuba, had a first unsuccessful attempt to leave the island in 2019 when he was detained in Guantánamo. He eventually defected from the national U-23 team in Mexico in September 2021.
After establishing his residency outside of Cuba, he signed with the Athletics in January 2023 for a bonus of 3 million dollars, one of the highest for a young international prospect that year.
The organization quickly promoted him through the minor league system. In 2023, he pitched 44 innings with Lansing (High-A) with an ERA of 2.86 and 55 strikeouts, and was ranked as the third prospect of the Athletics by MiLB.com in 2024, with a fastball evaluated between 97 and 99 miles per hour.
The franchise, in the process of rebuilding after its move from Oakland to Sacramento, has heavily invested in young talents like Morales, and despite a challenging start to 2026, grants him a new opportunity on the active roster.
As Pelota Cubana USA summarized: "Good expectations after 2025. Issues with control and command. More doubts than certainties in his performance. Even so, he receives another chance."
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