RE-APPEARED in NPB, 2 of the best Cuban pitchers

By Jesus Perez Vichot (Chuchi)

According to the Chunichi Sport newspaper, the Cuban Raidel Martinez He pitched out of the bullpen today and looked in great physical shape. The native of Pinar del Río achieved 23 saves last season and this year everything seems to indicate that he will be the closer of the Dragones de Chunichi team.

Daisuke Yamai, who serves as the pitching coach of the team where the Cuban plays, said that everything is going well with Raidel, but that he has no intention of rushing him despite the fact that the adjustments are going according to expectations. That both (player and coach) will agree on the strategy to follow. For his part, the speedy right-hander said he expects to be 100 percent next week and therefore be ready to pitch in preseason games.

Since completing his quarantine, Raidel had not appeared on a Japanese baseball diamond. Until now, he has accumulated 52 saves, an ERA of 2.63 and has struck out more than one strikeout per inning worked (170 in 150⅓) in 4 seasons in the Japanese Professional Baseball League (NPB).

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Another pitcher from the Caribbean island who also stretched out his arm this day for the first time since his arrival in the country of the rising sun was Yariel Rodríguez. According to the same source, who follows everything that happens with the Dragons, the right-hander from Camagüey said that he was improving his physical condition and that he would work assiduously in the bullpen to be in optimal shape.

Yariel hopes to earn a spot in the rotation of Chunichi’s team, a team with which he has registered a record of 4-8, with a 3.88 ERA and, like Raidel, fans more than one opponent per inning pitched (128 in 120⅔). . In 11 starts last season, he went 1-4 with a 3.65 ERA, improving on his first-year performance.

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Both Raidel and Yariel join the rest of the Cubans who are part of the Dragons roster (Ariel Martínez from Matanzas and Dayán Viciedo, former Major Leaguer from Villa Clara). In addition, two other Caribbeans (Guillermo García from Granma and Frank Abel Álvarez from Vuelta Baja) will fight to be promoted to the first team, as they will begin by showing all their actions in the branch of the Chunichi team.

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RE-APPEARED in NPB, 2 of the best Cuban pitchers