BASEBALL / Taiwanese pitcher makes MLB opening-day roster for 1st time in 7 years

Taipei, March 26 (CNA) Teng Kai-wei (鄧愷威) was the only Taiwanese player to make an opening-day roster in Major League Baseball (MLB) when its 2026 season kicked off Wednesday in the United States.

The Houston Astros included the 27-year-old right-hander on their opening-day roster as a multi-inning reliever in the bullpen.

The decision makes Teng, a Taichung native, the first Taiwanese pitcher in seven years to earn a spot on an MLB opening-day roster, following now-retired left-hander Chen Wei-yin (陳偉殷), who did so with the Miami Marlins in 2019.

The most recent Taiwanese position player to make an MLB opening-day roster was utility infielder Yu Chang (Chang Yu-cheng, 張育成), who achieved that feat in 2023 with the Boston Red Sox.

During the recently concluded spring training, Teng recorded seven strikeouts over 10 2/3 innings across six appearances, while issuing six walks and hitting one batter.

He allowed three runs on three hits - including two home runs - posting a 1-0 record and a 2.53 ERA.

Houston acquired Teng in a January trade with the San Francisco Giants following a 2025 season in which he posted a 2-4 record, a 6.37 ERA, and 39 strikeouts in 29 2/3 innings.

Teng spent most of his Minor League career as a starting pitcher in the farm systems of the Minnesota Twins and the Giants before transitioning into a bullpen role two years ago.

Currently, more than 20 Taiwanese players are active within the U.S. professional baseball system affiliated with the MLB, most of them at the Triple-A level or below.