On the 8th, Orix Buffaloes Buffaloes pitcher Yuito Mae attended contract negotiations at the team's facility in Maishima, Osaka, and signed for an annual salary of 5 million yen, a 700,000 yen reduction (estimated amount). "He told me, 'We look forward to seeing you make a full recovery from your injury and make a comeback.' I'm grateful that he's still keeping me, so I told him, 'I'll do my best to make a full comeback.'" Mae revealed the exchange at the meeting.
The right-handed pitcher joined the team as the fourth pick in the 2019 draft out of Tsuda Gakuen High School and re-signed with a development contract last offseason. This season, his sixth year, he was forced to leave the game due to an injury in the game against Western Kufu HAYATE on April 29th (Satoyaku), and in May underwent reconstruction surgery on the medial collateral ligament in his right elbow (commonly known as Tommy John surgery). Regarding the current status of his rehabilitation, Maeda explained, "I'm able to throw more firmly and powerfully than at the beginning. There are times when I'm not feeling well, but I'm grateful to be able to throw the ball, and I'm able to do so while feeling the weight of it." He has set a goal of resuming his stand-up throwing by the time of the Miyazaki training camp in February of next year.
He is in the same year as Miyagi and Kurebayashi, and next season will mark his seventh year. "I've never had an elbow or shoulder injury before, so it was really tough not being able to throw for such a long period of time, but once I was able to throw again, I discovered the joy of baseball. I hope to return as soon as possible and be able to show my energetic side on mound again," he said enthusiastically.
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