Taiwanese Pitcher Hsu Ru-hsi Set for First-Team Start with SoftBank Hawks

Taiwanese pitcher Hsu Ru-hsi is ready to return to the SoftBank Hawks' first team for his fifth start of the season on Saturday. The 25-year-old will pitch at home in Fukuoka Dome against the Hiroshima Carp, aiming for his second win.

Hsu, who joined the Japanese professional league on a lucrative contract after leaving the Wei Chuan Dragons, had a promising start. He secured his debut win on April 4th against the Rakuten Golden Eagles with a six-inning scoreless performance. However, subsequent starts proved challenging. A particularly rough outing on April 17th resulted in seven runs allowed in just 1.2 innings, leading to his temporary removal from the first team roster.

“

I am fully prepared and will work hard to overcome my own challenges.

Following a disastrous start on May 4th, where he gave up seven runs on 14 hits in four innings, Hawks manager Koji Akiyama suggested Hsu might have lost confidence. The pitcher was then sent to the minor league for an indefinite adjustment period. During his time in the minor league, Hsu worked on his control and physical conditioning. He demonstrated improvement in his last minor league start on May 22nd, pitching a nine-inning, two-hit complete game shutout against the Hiroshima Carp's minor league team. Hsu expressed his determination to maintain that form, stating, "I hope to maintain that state and pitch well, game by game."

“

I hope to maintain that state and pitch well, game by game.