Kazuhisa Makita started 2018 in San Diego. He was demoted to Triple-A El Paso, worked his way back up to San Diego, removed from 40-man roster over the offseason and assigned to Double-A Amarillo to start 2019.
His job remains the same. So has the 34-year-old’s mentality.
“Whether I’m in the big leagues or all the way down in Single-A, the assignment given to me is to pitch well on the mound,” Makita said Sunday afternoon through an interpreter. “That doesn’t change wherever I am.”
Sunday was a job well done.
Makita threw two pitches before a one-hour, 39-minutes rain delay and 36 more after during 3 1/3 scoreless innings in a 13-8 come-from-behind win.