Cuban Lefty Liván Moinelo Improves to 2-0 With Second Win Since Returning From Injury in Japan

August 19, 2026

Cuban left-hander Liván Moinelo turned in his second consecutive strong outing since returning from a shoulder injury, pitching six innings and allowing just one run as the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks defeated the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters 7-1 on August 18, 2026, in Japan's Pacific League.

Moinelo scattered two hits and one walk while striking out seven over his six innings, throwing 98 pitches and generating 19 swinging strikes. The only run charged to him came on a solo home run by Dominican slugger Franmil Reyes, who has hit 26 home runs this season. The result improved Moinelo's record to 2-0 with a 0.75 ERA across 12 innings pitched in his young 2026 campaign.

The 30-year-old from Pinar del Río had been sidelined for nearly three months after suffering a left shoulder injury in May, returning to the mound on August 12 with six scoreless innings against the Chiba Lotte Marines. His latest start builds on that comeback and echoes the form that made him the Pacific League's Most Valuable Player in 2025, when he went 12-3 with a 1.46 ERA and 172 strikeouts, becoming the first Cuban to win the award.

Moinelo has spent his entire professional career in Japan since leaving Cuba, developing into one of the most effective left-handed starters in the Pacific League and adding to a growing list of Cuban pitchers who have found success in NPB.