Sources have confirmed to the Cuban Baseball Digest that Liván Moinelo will make his first start of the season with the SoftBank Hawks big club between the beginning and the middle of the month of July. Moinelo last took the mound in the World Baseball Classic for the Cuban National Team, compiling a 0.00 in two starts.
Although he reported to the the Nippon League squad on time in late March the Cuban hurler has yet to the mound in a live game. The left-hander was the 2025 Pacific League MVP and the 2020 Pacific League Reliever of the Year, making him the only Latino in league history to win both awards.
In 2025 Moinelo not only lead the NPB in quality starts with 21, but was first in the circuit in earned run average (1.46), wins (12), WHIP (0.92) and was second in the land of the rising sun with 172 strikeouts. Due to the fact that Moinelo missed all of Spring Training and reported very close to the season opener SoftBank has taken its time with the southpaw.
Due to the fact that he had an left elbow injury and surgery to that same appendage in in 2024 the team decided not to rush the highest paid player in the league back to action. Once he takes the mound and reincorporates himself in the team’s rotation expect Moinelo to once again resume his place as the Hawks’ ace.