Orix Buffaloes Seiryu Kotajima pitcher Seiryu Furutajima (26), who underwent right elbow cleaning surgery in September, resumed bullpen pitch on the 21st at the team's facility in Maishima, Osaka. He threw 20 pitches with catcher standing, and already recorded a top speed of 140 km/h. "I've reached a new level. It feels like it's starting. Looking at the data, the quality of my pitches is much better than before the surgery," he said with a satisfied look on his face.

After a season in which he only made 20 appearances, he has been making minor adjustments to his form, such as the position of his glove, since his surgery. He says he "communicates with his nerves and tells them, 'Let's go!'" and has made it a point to throw hard from the very first pitch during catch practice. He even tried lowering his arm position a little, but said, "That would take away the appeal. I want to stick to my fastball." He reaffirmed that his fastball, which has more power than its speed suggests, is his weapon and vowed to further improve it.

The plan is to have catcher in January, and if all goes well, he will return to action at the Miyazaki training camp in February. Last season, in his first year, he played in 50 games, recording 24 hold and ERA of 0.79. "I want to be a valuable asset to the team and pitch in the first team. (Of those roles) I want to be in the winning pattern the most. I'm hungry for that." He aims to make a "championship-worthy" V-shaped recovery and once again show off his flamboyant celebratory gestures. (Shunta Nanbu)