Reigning Pacific League MVP Liván Moinelo made his 2026 Nippon Professional Baseball debut on Tuesday afternoon at Mizuho PayPay Dome, tossing six shutout innings as the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks routed the Chiba Lotte Marines, 16-2.
Moinelo, 30, entered the season as one of Japan’s premier pitchers after making two starts for Cuba in the World Baseball Classic, where he threw 7 ⅓ scoreless innings with eight strikeouts. Following the tournament, he returned to Cuba before his scheduled journey back to Japan was delayed by nationwide power outages in the Caribbean nation.
His prolonged absence from spring training even prompted some fans to worry whether he might defect, as countryman Yariel Rodriguez did after the 2023 WBC, voiding his contract with the Chunichi Dragons at the time.
Those concerns ultimately proved unfounded, as Moinelo arrived in Fukuoka two days before Opening Day. However, the southpaw needed an extended ramp-up period and initially targeted a season debut roughly one month into the campaign. That timeline was pushed back considerably after he experienced discomfort in his left shoulder during his rehab in early May.
Moinelo returned to game action on July 23, throwing three innings in a rehab start on the farm before stretching out to six innings in his next appearance on July 31.
He then made his much-anticipated return to an NPB mound on August 11, tossing six scoreless innings at home against the Marines while allowing just four hits and no walks with five strikeouts on 90 pitches. His fastball topped out at 94.3 mph, and he effectively mixed his full arsenal of cutters, curveballs, sliders, sweepers, and changeups.
“I'm not 100% yet,” he admitted after the game. “To get back in shape, I need to keep pitching on the first team.”
Moinelo rejoins the SoftBank rotation at an ideal time. The defending Japan Series champions have opened an 8.5-game lead over the Saitama Seibu Lions and Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters and appear poised to capture another Pacific League pennant.
Hawks starters have posted a 3.52 ERA and 14.0% strikeout-minus-walk rate this season, placing them around the middle of the pack – more than sufficient when backed by the league’s best offense and bullpen.
Still, the rotation had been missing its ace, and with SoftBank firmly in control of the pennant race, Moinelo can gradually work his way back into peak form ahead of the postseason.
Photo: Cuba's Livan Moinelo pitches in the first inning against Canada during a World Baseball Classic game in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Wednesday, March 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)
