Cuban Catcher Iván Prieto Defects After 2023 WBC Semifinal vs. USA

Cuban baseball player Iván Prieto González defected from his home country when he didn't board the team flight to Havana on Monday, according to the Miami Herald's Jorge Ebro.

Cuba's World Baseball Classic run came to an end Sunday with a 14-2 loss to the United States at LoanDepot Park in Miami. Prieto served as a bullpen catcher during the tournament.

Ebro reported the Cuban players were scheduled to fly out of Miami International Airport to return home on Monday, and when they did, Prieto was absent.

The 26-year-old played seven seasons for Sabuesos de Holguín and Alazanes de Granma in the Cuban National Series. He batted .291 with 13 home runs and 102 RBI in 257 games.

A number of baseball players have defected from Cuba over the years, either to pursue an MLB career or simply to leave their homeland behind.

Toward the final years of his time in office, President Barack Obama sought to ease diplomatic relations between the United States and Cuba. President Donald Trump didn't maintain that policy upon assuming the Oval Office.

In April 2019, President Trump canceled a deal between MLB and the Cuban Baseball Federation that opened a formal pipeline between the two. The agreement would've allowed Cuban players to compete in MLB without having to defect.

In October 2021, 11 players defected during the U23 Baseball World Cup in Mexico.