On the 5th, Orix Buffaloes announced that they had signed outfielder Kendai Moto as a development player for next season. In September of this season, his fifth year with the team, he was diagnosed with "right subclavian vein thrombosis" at a hospital in Kobe. In October, he was notified that he would not be signed to a contract with the team for next season.
Moto visited the players' dormitory in Konohana Ward, Osaka City, and signed for an annual salary of 10 million yen, an increase of 3 million yen from this season (amount is estimated). He played in a career-high 31 games, mainly as an outfield defense replacement or pinch runner, and won a pay raise despite being re-signed as a development player. "Because of my illness, they talked about me being on a development contract next year, but they really appreciated how I performed this year. This evaluation is very valuable. I want to give back to the team, and I think my best place to perform is in the first team, so I hope to be able to return to the team's regular team as soon as possible next year," he said in a grateful speech.
At the press conference, he once again spoke about the situation and his feelings when he received the diagnosis. "At first, I thought I had pulled a pectoral muscle. The orthopedic doctor found the blood clot and I was immediately taken away in an ambulance, and the discussion continued without me understanding the situation. Some people have blood clots that travel to the brain, but in my case, it seems it was to the heart. Suddenly, people started talking about the possibility of death, so looking back on it, I realize how lucky I was," he said, choosing his words carefully.
He has now resumed batting practice, taking great care to avoid being hit in the head by the ball. "The doctors at the hospital said that I'm recovering quickly, and depending on the examination around mid-December, I will be able to stop taking the medication I'm currently taking. Because there are so few cases, I can show players who may develop the same disease in the future that, if not courage, they can start over. I really want to do this without losing heart. I know this isn't just about me, so I want to make a quick comeback and show them how I play," he said, declaring his comeback under number 127 jersey.
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