Late Return, But Worth It
Cuban pitcher Livan Moinelo, who participated with the national team in the World Baseball Classic, made his debut in the current Japanese professional baseball season.
The left-hander, originally from the province of Pinar del Río, saw his debut in the current campaign of the land of the rising sun delayed due to his late incorporation into training and discomfort that prevented him from reaching optimal form earlier.
Moinelo comes from a dream 2025 season in the NPB, where he was named Most Valuable Player of the Pacific League with a record of 12 wins and three losses.
Furthermore, among his individual metrics, an astonishing 1.46 ERA stands out, with 172 batters retired via strikeout.
In his first outing of the season, Moinelo had a splendid performance: in six complete innings, he struck out five opponents, allowed four hits, and did not give up any runs.
The Cuban needed only 90 pitches to consolidate a quality start and secure the victory for the SoftBank Hawks.
Despite the delay in returning to the mound, the Pinar del Río native continues to demonstrate with facts that he belongs among the elite of world-class pitching.
