Toru Murata

Murata attended Osaka Taiiku University. In 2007, he was selected by the Yomiuri Giants of Nippon Professional Baseball in the first round of the Japanese Draft and spent three years pitching in ni-gun—the Japanese minor league—before being released.\n', '

He joined the Cleveland Indians in December 2010, though his American career began before that—he pitched nine games for the Scottsdale Scorpions of the Arizona Fall League in 2009 and was named a "Rising Star." In 2011, he made his debut in the Indians system, going 3–2 with 58 strikeouts, 37 hits, 10 walks and a 2.36 ERA in 49 2/3 innings for the Kinston Indians. Between the Carolina Mudcats, Akron Aeros and Triple-A Columbus Clippers in 2012, the hurler was 3–2 with a 2.89 ERA in 27 games (10 starts). In 74 2/3 innings, he allowed only 68 hits and 22 walks while striking out 66 batters. With Akron and Columbus in 2013, Murata was 6…