Nippon-Ham's Sun Yi-Lei Expected to Make First-Team Start This Season, Hopes to Surpass Last Year's Performance

(CNA, Reporter Hsieh Ching-wen, Taipei, 8th) Sun Yi-Lei, a Taiwanese pitcher for the NPB's Nippon-Ham Fighters, practiced with the first team today. According to Japanese media reports, the Fighters have a six-game homestand starting on the 9th, and Sun is expected to make his first start of the season for the first team. Sun stated that he hopes to deliver a performance that surpasses last season's.

The 21-year-old Taiwanese pitcher for the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters, Sun Yi-Lei, made his NPB first-team debut on May 22 last year and had his first career start in the first team on August 11. Last year, he appeared in a total of 9 first-team games (2 starts), pitching 12.1 innings, allowing 12 hits, including 2 home runs, with 7 earned runs, 10 strikeouts, 2 losses, 4 holds, and 1 save, for an ERA of 5.11.

Sun started this season in the second team and has so far appeared in 9 second-team games, pitching 39 innings, allowing 14 runs (11 earned), with a record of 2 wins and 3 losses, an ERA of 2.54, and 39 strikeouts.

According to Japanese media reports, Sun Yi-Lei practiced with the first team at the Fighters' home stadium, ES CON FIELD, on the 8th. The Fighters have a six-game homestand starting on the 9th, and Sun is expected to make his first first-team start of the season.

In an interview with Japanese media, Sun said that his current condition is not at its best, feeling just average, but he hopes to perform to his capabilities. Last season's two first-team starts did not have ideal results, and Sun bluntly stated that he was not satisfied with his pitching content last year. With a sense of frustration, he hopes to pitch better than last year.

Additionally, Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks pitcher Hsu Jo-Hsi returned to the first team at the end of May. He pitched 6 scoreless innings for a win on May 31 and 6 innings with 2 runs allowed (no decision) on June 7. After two consecutive quality starts, he was sent down to the second team today.