Cuban Catcher Iván Prieto González Defects After Baseball Loss

MIAMI, FL — Cuban catcher Iván Prieto González defected to the United States this week after his team's loss in the semifinals of the World Baseball Classic in Miami, according to multiple reports.

Just hours after their loss to Team USA, the Cuban players departed the states Monday on an early-morning flight back to the island, the Miami Herald reported. González, a catcher for the Alazanes de Granma team in Cuba's National Series, was not among them, according to the newspaper.

Major League Baseball officials confirmed the defection to USA Today's Bob Nightengale.

Politically, defecting is defined as "forsaking one cause, party, or nation for another, often because of a change in ideology." The term can be applied to anyone who switches loyalty to another religion, sports team, or political party.

González played eight seasons in the Cuban National Series, the country's top professional baseball league, hitting .291 with 13 home runs and 102 RBIs in 257 career games, according to USA Today.

He is not the first Cuban athlete to defect to the United States.

One example was Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez, who rose to fame with the New York Yankees in the late 1990s and early 2000s, according to Fox Sports. He was banned from the Cuban team following the defection of half-brother Livan Hernandez.

Players including Jose Abreu, Aroldis Chapman, Yordan Alvarez, and Randy Arozarena are among other Cuban athletes who have defected from the communist country, Fox Sports reported.

González's decision to defect could mean he won't be able to re-enter Cuba for five years, the Herald reported. Should he return, he could face punishment from the Cuban government.