The Tai River Hawks confirmed the devastating news on their official channels on July 19th. Moya’s wife experienced an unspecified issue during her flight to Taiwan,which ultimately led to her death. Moya,who was scheduled to play in the All-Star Game,has withdrawn from the event.The team expressed their apologies to fans who were anticipating his participation.

According to the club, Moya’s wife had been traveling to Taiwan specifically to support her husband at the All-Star Game. She reportedly felt unwell during the flight and upon landing,but her condition worsened,resulting in her death on the 19th. Moya and team staff were awaiting updates at the hospital when they received the tragic news. the Tai River Hawks have pledged their full support to Moya during this difficult time and have not yet steadfast if he will continue playing for the remainder of the season.

Steven Moya’s Baseball Career

Moya joined the CPBL for the 2024 season and has been a critically important offensive force, currently holding 19 home runs.In the previous season, he played 115 games, batting.294 with 30 home runs and 99 RBIs. This season, he has recorded 47 rbis in 54 games with a .290 batting average.

Prior to his CPBL career, Moya played in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). He debuted in the NPB with the Chunichi Dragons in 2018 and later moved to the orix Buffaloes in 2019,playing with them until the 2021 season. During his time in Japan, he played 269 games, hitting .249 with 39 home runs, including a career-high 13 home runs in the 2021 season. Moya also has Major League Baseball experience, having played 51 games for the Detroit Tigers between 2014 and 2016.

A Message of Love and Resilience

In the wake of the tragedy, Taiwanese media reported that Moya posted a heartfelt message on his social media, stating, “I’m going to tear my heart, but I’m going to play the best at the baseball field. I’m going to make a swift preparation. I love my wife forever.”