Cuban pitcher Vera stable after having face crushed

HAVANA -- The pitcher who helped Cuba defeat the Baltimore Orioles in the United States a decade ago is in stable condition after his face was crushed with a blunt object while trying to stop a fight.

The government-controlled Radio Rebelde said Monday that Norge Luis Vera is "in delicate, stable condition and fully conscious." He is in the intensive care unit of Saturnino Lora Hospital in Santiago, Cuba's second-largest city.

Vera plays for Santiago in Cuba's top baseball league.