Following his participation with Cuba in the VI World Baseball Classic, pitcher Armando Dueñas — a veteran of professional circuits in Venezuela and Nicaragua — is now preparing to don the jersey of Cocodrilos de Matanzas in the III Liga de Campeones de las Américas, set to take place from the 24th through the 29th of this month in Mexico City.

In statements to the Cuban News Agency, Dueñas, widely regarded as one of the fastest arms on the island today, noted that upon returning to Cuba the previous week, he allowed himself only two days of rest before resuming training, driven by his determination to deliver a strong performance for the Cocodrilos — champions of Serie Nacional 64.

The right-hander, a native of the municipality of Perico, explained that in the continental club tournament he will return to his customary role as closer under manager Armando Ferrer, after spending several weeks serving as a situational reliever in the seventh and eighth innings with the Cuban national squad.

"The Classic was a great personal experience, one in which I had the opportunity to share with outstanding athletes such as Despaigne (Alfredo) and Roel (Santos), and to witness up close others who are idols to me, like Puerto Rico's closer Edwin Díaz," said the powerfully built hurler.

Dueñas also confirmed that he will continue this summer with Samanes de Aragua in Venezuela's Liga Mayor de Béisbol Profesional, where he will be tasked with locking down the seventh inning for the Maracay-based club in what is expected to be a more demanding and extensive campaign than previous ones, with a schedule that may surpass 90 games.

During the recently concluded World Baseball Classic, the Cuban reliever pitched one scoreless inning. Over the course of his career in the Serie Nacional, he has accumulated 29 wins, 19 losses, and 49 saves, along with a WHIP of 1.44 and an ERA of 3.73 per nine innings pitched.