The Los Angeles Dodgers enjoyed an extra-innings win against the rival San Diego Padres on Monday night thanks to some heroics from a breakout star.
Second-year outfielder Andy Pages hit a go-ahead double in the 10th inning to propel LA to the win, adding an exclamation mark to a great season so far with the Dodgers. The 24-year-old is slashing .290/.333/.492 with 12 homers and 40 RBI, emerging as an outfielder of the future for the franchise.
Perhaps even more remarkable than the speed of Pages' ascent on the field for the Dodgers has been the fact that he's doing so while his family remains stuck in his native Cuba.
"With Pages' family still in Cuba, (Teoscar) Hernández has become a big brother as well as a teammate, taking him out for dinner on off days or just getting together to play videogames," Kevin Baxter wrote for the Los Angeles Times. "Pages would like to bring his family to the U.S. some day, though that dream was dealt a setback last week when President Trump signed an executive order restricting access to Cubans hoping to come to the U.S."
With a breakout season in full swing and his family stuck in Cuba, Pages spoke out about his hopes for a reunion soon.
"Hope is always there," he said, per Baxter. "But you have to follow the rules, get the papers, do whatever it takes to make sure everything's OK. And then get here and stay here."
Given the state of relations between the two countries, it might seem like a longshot to believe Pages' family will join him in Los Angeles anytime soon. But it sounds like the young outfielder won't give up on that possibility.
"I'm just trying, trying until they can leave," he told Baxter.
If his sophomore season is any indication, Pages seems to be destined for a long and productive tenure with the Dodgers. Sooner or later, that could mean his family is cheering him on from the home stands.
