The team, which is aiming to make a comeback from last place, has added an "Otani killer" to its lineup. On the 1st, Lotte announced that they had acquired pitcher Jose Castillo (29), who has pitched in 69 games in the MLB, as their new foreign player. Manager Saburo expressed his expectations, saying, "He has a proven track record as a setup man in the MLB and is known as an Otani killer, so I'm really looking forward to it."
Castillo is a Venezuelan native and is a 198cm tall, skillful left-handed pitcher. He made his major league debut with the Padres in 2018, and this season, after a two-year absence, he has pitched in 29 games for four teams - the Diamondbacks, Mets, Mariners, and Orioles - with ERA of 3.94. His fastest fastball this season was 95.9 mph (approximately 154.3 km/h). His pitch distribution is dominated by change-up, with 43.6% being slider, 38.9% being sinker, and 2.6% being breaking ball.
He's also incredibly consistent against hitter. His career record against Ohtani is one hit in three At Bat. He faced each other once in three games, and in the first two bouts, Ohtani grounded out to first base on breaking ball that missed the center of the bat. In their final matchup, at Dodger Stadium on June 4th (June 5th in Japan), Ohtani stubbornly hit a single to right field. However, he didn't allow hitter, who was unanimously selected as the Major League Most Valuable Player (MVP) for the third consecutive year and his fourth time, to swing as he wanted.
Lotte sank to last place this year, 31.5 games behind the leader. In order to turn things around, the commanding officer, who successfully reinforced the left reliever, which had been an issue, said, "He has good control of the ball, and I expect him to closer do so regardless of left right-handed hitter. bullpen The depth of our lineup will be thickened," he said with high expectations. Castillo said, "After watching the videos and seeing the stadium, I love the energy that the fans generate. I'm determined to give it my all. The experienced 29-year-old will be a pillar of the rescue team. (Natsuki Takeuchi)
◆Jose Castillo Born January 10, 1996. Originally from Valencia, Carabobo, Venezuela. 29 years old. Signed with the Rays as an amateur free agent in July 2012. Played for the Venezuelan national team in the 2017 World Baseball Classic. Made his major league debut with the Padres in 2018. Returned to the majors with the Diamondbacks in May 2013 for the first time in two years. Pitched in 69 games in the majors, with a record of 5 wins, 5 losses, 15 hold, and ERA of 4.11. Standing 198 cm tall and weighing 114 kg, he bats and throws left-handed.
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