Taiwanese pitcher Wang Chien-ming of the Washington Nationals threw a shutout inning in an instructional league game in Viera, Florida, on Wednesday in his first return to the mound after missing the entire 2010 season while rehabbing from shoulder surgery.
According to a report posted on the masnsports.com Web site, Wang had a good outing in the game against the Detroit Tigers minor league team in the Florida Instructional League.
Wang faced four batters in the inning, walking one and retiring the other three. He also hit between 85mph and 87mph with his fastball, which sports experts said was not bad, but not great.
The right-handed pitcher has been rehabbing a shoulder injury that occurred before signing with the Nationals for a one-year, US$2 million deal in April.
The Florida instructional league appearance was seen as one of the most important outings of the 30-year-old’s Major League Baseball (MLB) career.
The masnsports Web site report quoted Wang’s agent, Alan Nero, as saying that both the Nationals and Wang are open to a contract for next year before the Nationals would have to decide whether to offer Wang arbitration, but are waiting to see how he progresses through the fall.
Wang signed with the New York Yankees in 2001 and was first called up to the mound of a major league game in April 2005.
He was the third player from Taiwan to make it into the MLB after Dodgers outfielder Chen Chin-feng and Rockies pitcher Tsao Chin-hui.
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