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CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago Cubs are considering bringing in a new Spanish translator for Aroldis Chapman after the star closer from Cuba struggled to answer questions about a past domestic violence case in his introductory news conference.
Manager Joe Maddon suggested the change Thursday night, saying they had a couple of names in mind. Team spokesman Peter Chase said coach Henry Blanco remains the official translator for now.
Chapman earned his first save with his new team Thursday night, striking out two and getting the final four outs in the Cubs' 3-1 victory over the crosstown White Sox.
Catcher Miguel Montero served as Chapman's translator after the game for the second straight day.
When the Cubs announced Chapman's acquisition from the New York Yankees on Monday, the team released a statement from Chairman Tom Ricketts saying they were aware of his 29-game suspension to begin the season under Major League Baseball's new domestic violence policy.
Ricketts said he and Cubs president Theo Epstein talked by phone with Chapman before the deal was completed and "shared with him the high expectations we set for our players."
But when asked repeatedly about that phone conversation before Tuesday's game, Chapman said through Blanco that he couldn't recall details because he was taking a nap at the time the call came in.
Epstein called it a misunderstanding and that Chapman was "pretty nervous" as he faced more than two dozen reporters.
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