Yosvani Peraza Separated from Pinar del Rio

Arrested and subjected to a criminal investigation

HAVANA TIMES — Cuban catcher/DH Yosvani Peraza was expelled for the remainder of the current 2014-2015 baseball season after being arrested for people trafficking, according to sources familiar with the case, reported Café Fuerte.

Peraza, 35, played for Pinar del Rio and was often on the Cuban national team. He was detained for a week at the headquarters of the Investigative Technical Department (DTI) in the province of Pinar del Rio and is currently at home, albeit with restrictions on his movement, as the investigation continues.

Thus far there is no official confirmation of Perraza’s arrest or the subject of the investigation.

Perraza was in the middle of a poor season batting only .175 in only 15 games. In early February he was a member of the Pinar del Rio team that won the Caribbean Series in Puerto Rico.

Pinar del Rio, last season’s Cuban league champs, have been hard hit by players leaving the country.

In a short period of time Pinar has lost pitcher Vladimir Guiterrez, infielders Dainer Moreira and Lazaro Alonso, catcher Yoel Rojas and outfielder Osniel Madra, while shortstop Luis Alberto Valdes was caught trying to leave the country illegally and suspended from the team.

The team is battling for one of four playoff spots, currently in 6th place with a 39-36 record.