On the 28th, Lotte announced that they have signed a development contract with infielder Yuta Kaneda for next season. number will be "120."

In his third year as a professional, Kaneda played in 17 games for the farm team this season, batting .217 with RBI. However, in May, he came in as a pinch hitter and hit hit single to center fielder in a game against the Yakult Swallows' second team on the 4th, and then hit a timely single to right field in a game against the DeNA Swallows' second team on the 9th, bringing his monthly batting average to .667, improving his form.

"At that time, the farm team manager taught me a lot of things, such as timing, and I practiced, and I think that since the change, my rate of hitting well in my own points has improved."

While he was beginning to get a good feeling, this was his last game, and on July 2nd, he underwent arthroscopic TFCC repair and right extensor carpi ulnaris tendon release at a hospital in Tokyo. After the season ended, it was announced that he would not be signing a contract for next season.

He was producing results as a pinch hitter before his injury, so did he have the confidence to continue producing results if he had continued playing without the injury?

"I won't know until I try," he said, adding, "I was able to do what I wanted to do well, so I may have gotten the results I wanted from then on, or I may have stumbled somewhere along the way." He added, "I think there's no doubt I was in good shape."

"I feel like my batting has improved since my first and second years, and my defensive defense were also improving when I got injured, so I think I'll have some regrets about that," he said, expressing his disappointment.

Kaneda had a batting average of .371 in June last season, but he has been plagued by injuries over the past two years, including undergoing arthroscopic FCC suture surgery on his left hand.

He will be making a fresh start as a development player next season. "I've been moved to development, but I think my position of having to make an impression on the farm team will remain the same, so I want to get results. I want to do my best in everything."

Interview and text by Yuta Iwashita