outfielder Haruki Nishikawa, who will be returning to Nippon-Ham for the first time in five years since the 2021 season, held a press conference at ES CON FIELD on the 8th. number was decided to be "7", which he had worn for six years since 2016.

This season, he was unable to show his true potential, hitting .174 in 49 games, and was released from Yakult. When asked about the offer from Nippon-Ham, he said, "Ever since I was told that (I was being released), I really wanted to finish my career as a player with The Fighters. I remember asking Mr. Kuriyama, or rather, begging him, and saying, 'Please help me.'" He revealed that they had spoken directly at Kamagaya, where the final Eastern League game was held.

Chief Baseball Officer (CBO) Kuriyama, who was also present at the press conference, explained, "When we look at Nishikawa Haruki now, we recognize his abilities and believe he will be a great asset to the team so that we can win next year, and we are bringing him back. That's how it is. Another thing I would like to say is that we can't let it end like this, and that Nishikawa Haruki hasn't fully come into his own yet, and that was a strong feeling I had. I'm sure that everyone who supports The Fighters will be glad that he's back."

Looking ahead to next season, which will be his return, Nishikawa said, "If I don't get results, I think I would have said I was quitting myself. That's the kind of attitude I came with, so of course it would be ideal to get results and be under contract next season, but the main thing is that I didn't feel like I had done my best, and that's when I started to feel like I wanted to end my career with The Fighters. So I want to give it my all, even if it meant finishing next season."

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