Pitcher Kenta Maeda of the Major League Baseball Tigers took to the field for batting practice at a camp in Florida, and showed smooth adjustment by striking out three batters against four batters, promoting his inclusion in the starting rotation.
Pitcher Maeda, who transferred from the Twins to the Tigers in the same region this season, pitched in his first actual batting practice at the camp held in Lakeland, Florida, on the 21st.
Pitcher Maeda, who is aiming to enter the starting rotation in his new field, struck out Bahez, a strong hitter who won the RBI title in 2018, with a straight shot, and struck out Torkelson, who hit 31 home runs last season, by missing with a changeup. He threw 20 pitches against four batters, resulting in one hit and three strikeouts.
Pitcher Maeda responded to an interview after practice, saying, ``It's only my first time so I'm not expecting too much, but I was able to throw all pitches evenly to some extent, and I'm glad that I was able to throw with a good feel.'' He seemed satisfied with the content to a certain extent.
Pitcher Maeda, who underwent Tommy John surgery to repair a ligament in his right elbow in 2021, returned last season, but was unable to maintain a place in the starting rotation throughout the year.
He was expected to be in perfect condition from the start of this season, and he wasn't in a hurry, saying, ``I'm not the type of person who makes adjustments quickly, so I want to take my time and finish things off from here.''
From now on, he plans to take the field for batting practice again after three days in middle school, and after that, he will pitch in an exhibition game to improve his level of adjustment.