A day after the U.S. military operation in Venezuela to capture Nicolas Maduro, uncertainty grips some MLB teams. One of the hardest hit so far is the Brewers. So far, the Milwaukee organization says it is unaware of the situation of its Venezuelan players: star outfielder Jackson Chourio, infielder Andruw Monasterio and catcher Jeferson Quero.
Matt Arnold, president of baseball operations for the Brewers, confirmed that they have not been able to communicate with them, who were apparently in Venezuela when the events occurred.
We don’t have much information at the moment, but we are trying to follow up. We know that the airports have been closed, but little more than that
Chourio, for example, took advantage of the offseason to play with Aguilas del Zulia, a team with which he was experiencing a spectacular streak in the Venezuelan winter league. Last Friday, January 2, he hit a home run in extra innings that proved to be the decisive blow for his team in the first game of the playoffs.
Another player who was playing in the local league playoffs is Monasterio with Caribes de Anzoategui. Quero, meanwhile, played with Cardenales de Lara to stay active like his teammates
But they would not be the only ones. According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Angel Zerpa was in his native country at the time of his trade to the Brewers. This happened in December and, currently, it is not known if he is still in Venezuela. In turn, William Contreras, who is also Venezuelan, resides outside the country during the offseason.
The Giants are also waiting for news
The San Francisco franchise has two players who are actively participating in the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League. Among them is outfielder Luis Matos, who plays for La Guaira. Then there is Jesus Rodriguez, who plays for Aragua in Maracay.Rodriguez has confirmed that he is safe and in contact with the team. However, because the country’s airspace is closed, he cannot leave Venezuela for at least a few days and is awaiting further instructions.
Beyond these two players, there are several Giants minor leaguers from Venezuela with whom the organization has maintained extensive scouting and evaluation operations. Kyle Haines, senior director of player development, noted that the team has managed to contact most, but not all, of the individuals.
We have been able to communicate with everyone we have been in contact with and so far they are all fine. Most of them have simply taken shelter in their homes, waiting for what the future holds
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