About 45 minutes prior to the start of the May 17 game between the Iowa Cubs and St. Paul Saints, pitcher Kenta Maeda walked to the outfield, shuffling past some fans who had been on the field for a pre-game catch.
The moment offered a quick reminder that Maeda, who was getting ready to warm up for his start with Iowa, was once again back in the minor leagues and once again trying to prove he could pitch in the majors.
Advertisement
The former star showed there’s still some convincing to do after he was roughed up in his organizational debut, surrendering four runs in just two innings of work for the Iowa Cubs at Principal Park.
Kenta Maeda throws a pitch for the Iowa Cubs on May 17.
Maeda, who was released by the Detroit Tigers on May 7, quickly found work with the Chicago Cubs, signing a minor league deal with his new organization on May 16. He didn’t waste any time after, quickly getting his first start a day later.
It didn’t last long, though. Maeda lasted just two innings, giving up four runs (all earned) on four hits and two walks and one hit by pitch. St. Paul, the Triple-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins, sent nine hitters to the plate in the first off Maeda.
Advertisement
Maeda gave up an RBI double to Jose Miranda and then a sacrifice fly to Jeferson Morales to put the Saints ahead 2-0. St. Paul’s Jair Camargo then ripped a two-run double off Maeda to give the Saints a 4-0 lead.
The second inning went much better for Maeda who worked around a two-out double without allowing a run. Maeda threw 56 total pitches including 31 for strikes. He topped out at 89.9 mph.
There was likely some rust to shake off for Maeda who hadn’t pitched in an official game since April 29 with the Tigers. Still, there are hopes that the right-hander, once one of the best pitchers in baseball, could help the Cubs.
The 37-year-old has pitched parts of nine seasons in the big leagues with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Minnesota Twins and most recently, the Tigers. He’s won 68 games over the course of his career, even finishing second in the Cy Young Award voting in 2020.
Advertisement
Tommy Birch, the Register’s sports enterprise and features reporter, has been working at the newspaper since 2008. He’s the 2018, 2020 and 2023 Iowa Sportswriter of the Year. Reach him at tbirch@dmreg.com or 515-284-8468
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Big-league veteran Kenta Maeda struggles in debut with Iowa Cubs