Baseball Player Humberto Cruz Goes Back to Mexico

May 9, 2026, 14:37
InternationalSports

Introduction

Humberto Cruz played for the San Diego Padres. He went back to Mexico because he broke the law.

Main Body

Cruz drove two people into the US without papers. He took $2,000 to do this. He told the judge he was guilty. The Padres put Cruz on a special list in March. He lost his work visa. He cannot work in the US for ten years. Cruz was a top player for the team. He signed for $750,000 in 2024. He was recovering from arm surgery in Arizona when this happened.

Conclusion

Humberto Cruz is now in Mexico. He is still on the Padres' restricted list.

Learning

πŸ•’ The 'Past' Pattern

Look at these words from the text:

  • played
  • broke
  • drove
  • took
  • told

The Simple Rule: Most English words just add -ed to talk about yesterday (play β†’ played). But some 'rebel' words change completely.

The Rebels from this story:

  • Break β†’ Broke
  • Drive β†’ Droven
  • Take β†’ Took
  • Tell β†’ Told

πŸ’° Talking about Money

In English, we use specific symbols and words for costs:

  • $2,000 β†’ Two thousand dollars.
  • $750,000 β†’ Seven hundred and fifty thousand dollars.

Useful phrase: "He signed for..." β†’ This means he agreed to a contract for that amount of money.

Vocabulary Learning

player (n.)
A person who plays a game or sport.
Example:Humberto Cruz is a baseball player.
team (n.)
A group of people working together for a common goal.
Example:The Padres are a baseball team.
law (n.)
A rule that people must follow, made by a government.
Example:He broke the law by driving people into the US.
judge (n.)
A person who decides a case in a court of law.
Example:He told the judge he was guilty.
list (n.)
A set of items written or spoken.
Example:The Padres put him on a special list.
visa (n.)
An official document that lets a person enter or stay in a country.
Example:He lost his work visa.
surgery (n.)
A medical operation to fix or treat a body part.
Example:He was recovering from arm surgery.
restricted (adj.)
Not allowed or limited in some way.
Example:He is still on the Padres' restricted list.
top (adj.)
Highest or best in rank or quality.
Example:He was a top player for the team.