The Cuban left-handed pitcher Liván Moinelo earned his second victory of the 2026 season this Tuesday in the Japanese Professional Baseball League (NPB), with another quality start that confirms his return to the highest level after months of inactivity due to injury.
According to reports from Pelota Cubana on their social media, the pitcher from Pinar del Río was the winning thrower in the 7-1 victory of the SoftBank Hawks over the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters, with a performance that left little doubt about his physical and competitive condition.
Moinelo worked for six innings, during which he allowed only two hits, issued one walk, and struck out seven batters.
The only run against him came from a home run by Dominican Franmil Reyes, one of the most dangerous hitters in the Pacific League, who has a total of 26 home runs this season.
The left-hander needed 98 pitches to complete his outing and recorded 19 missed swings, a figure that showcases the dominance he had over the opposing lineup.
With this result, Moinelo improves to 2-0 in his only two appearances since he returned to the SoftBank first team in mid-August, both with quality outings.
In total, the Cuban has pitched 12 innings, allowed six hits, given up only one earned run, and struck out 12 batters, resulting in an ERA of 0.75.
The return is particularly significant considering that Moinelo was away from the top level of Japanese baseball for almost three months due to a left shoulder injury, reported since mid-May.
Before rejoining the first team, the player from Pinar del Río made two rehabilitation starts in the minor leagues on July 23 and July 31, after which SoftBank confirmed that he was ready to return.
His debut in the 2026 season came on August 12, with six scoreless innings in the 16-2 victory over the Chiba Lotte Marines, and he has now followed it up with a second equally impressive performance.
The context makes the start even more striking: Moinelo comes from a historic 2025 season in which he finished with a record of 12-3, an ERA of 1.46, and 172 strikeouts in 167 innings, numbers that earned him the MVP of the Pacific League of the NPB, making him the first Cuban to receive that award, along with the 2025 Japan Series title with SoftBank.
"In just two outings, he has once again demonstrated the level that made him one of the key figures of SoftBank," highlighted the source covering the game.
Related videos:
Filed under: