Cuban left-hander Liván Moinelo delivered an excellent outing this Tuesday for the SoftBank Hawks. The hurler tossed six innings during which he allowed four hits and no runs, while also fanning six batters a 16-2 victory by the SoftBank Hawks over the Chiba Lotte Marines at the Mizuho PayPay Dome in Fukuoka.
Moinelo made his first start of the 2026 season, returning to the mound in Japan in dominant fashion. After a sparkling World Baseball Classic, Moinelo had yet to see action this season with the Japanese team due to nagging arm injuries.
On Friday, July 31, the Pinar del Río native earned the win in SoftBank’s 6-3 victory over Orix in the minor leagues. He pitched six innings, allowing four hits and one run while issuing two walks and striking out six batters. His maximum velocity was 151 km/h (approximately 93.83 mph).
After the game, first-team manager Hiroki Kokubo confirmed that Moinelo is ready to return: “He will pitch for the first team in his next outing. However, I will keep the date a secret. Moinelo is a positive factor for the second half. If he can contribute to victories, we will be closer to winning the championship.”