Taiwanese Fireballer Sun Yi-Lei Removed from NPB Roster After Tough Start

Taiwanese pitching prospect Sun Yi-Lei has been removed from the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters' active roster following a tough outing against the SoftBank Hawks. The 21-year-old right-hander surrendered five runs, four of them earned, over four innings on Saturday, absorbing his first loss of the season.

Despite the unfavorable result, Sun Yi-Lei reportedly felt his performance was not subpar. He acknowledged the outcome was beyond his control. In his start against the Hawks, he threw 96 pitches, giving up six hits including a home run, while striking out four and walking two. His fastball was clocked at a maximum of 156 kilometers per hour, leaving him with a 3.60 ERA.

This demotion comes after a promising start to his season. Sun Yi-Lei earned his first career win in the top league against the Yokohama DeNA BayStars, delivering a strong performance with six innings pitched and eight strikeouts without allowing a run. However, his recent start against SoftBank proved to be a harsh lesson in the competitive Japanese league.

The Fighters made several roster adjustments, sending Sun Yi-Lei, along with relief pitchers Kenta Kikuchi and Takumi Yamamoto, to the minor league team due to their recent performances. Sun Yi-Lei will be eligible for re-registration to the first team no earlier than July 1.

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My condition wasn't bad, in fact, I felt it was quite good. But the result was not ideal, and there's nothing that can be done.