Lázaro Blanco (baseball)

Lázaro Blanco
Lázaro Blanco
El Águila de Veracruz – No. 49
	Pitcher
	Born: February 23, 1986 (age 38); Yara, Cuba
	Bats: Right Throws: Right

Lázaro Blanco Matos (born February 23, 1986) is a Cuban professional baseball pitcher for El Águila de Veracruz of the Mexican League. He has previously played for the Alazanes de Granma of the Cuban National Series.

Blanco played for the Cuba national baseball team at the 2015 Pan American Games and 2017 World Baseball Classic.^[1]

Career

Québec Capitales

Blanco signed with the Québec Capitales of the Can-Am League on May 20, 2017. He re-signed with the club for the 2018 season, and was later waived prior to the 2019 season.

Blanco signed with the Saraperos de Saltillo of the Mexican League for the 2020 season. Blanco did not play in a game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the Mexican League season because of the COVID-19 pandemic.^[2] In 2021, Blanco pitched for the Cuba national baseball team at the 2020 Summer Olympics Americas Qualifier in Florida. Following the event, he was set to fly to Mexico to join the Saraperos de Saltillo, but missed his flight and announced that he would defect to the United States.^[3]

On November 29, 2022, while playing for the Estrellas Orientales in the Dominican Winter League, Blanco was struck in the face by a comebacker off the bat of Gigantes del Cibao hitter Henry Urrutia. Blanco suffered multiple facial fractures and was forced to miss the remainder of the season. He had posted an 0–1 record and 5.40 ERA across 5 appearances (3 of them starts).^[4]

Bravos de León

On January 20, 2023, Blanco signed with the Bravos de León of the Mexican League. He would go on to post a 1–3 record and 4.42 ERA across 14 appearances, all of which were starts.

After the season, he signed with the Venados de Mazatlan of the Mexican Pacific League. He was released by the Venados on December 15, but quickly signed with the Leones del Caracas of the Venezuelan Winter League.

On February 1, 2024, Blanco was released by León.^[5] However, on April 10, Blanco re–signed with the club.^[6] In nine appearances, he posted a 3–4 record with a 7.02 ERA and 29 strikeouts over 41 innings. On July 1, Blanco was waived by León.^[7]