After Seattle Mariners pitcher Yusei Kikuchi made his first spring training start in Arizona in February, he told reporters he was nervous.
“I’ve been pitching in Japan for the last nine years, and I wanted to test what I was doing in Japan against the major league hitters,” he said, speaking through interpreter Justin Novak.
“I wanted to see how they reacted. So, I was excited, and also nervous about that.”
The 27-year-old left-hander, who pitched the past seven seasons for the Saitama Seibu Lions in Japan’s Pacific League, felt good about that first start even with the jitters.