Hiroaki Shimauchi, who played for Rakuten Eagles until last season, announced on his X (formerly Twitter) on the 4th that he would be retiring from active play.

Shimauchi wrote, "I've been with Rakuten Eagles for 14 years. I was nurtured by Manager Hoshino and experienced the team winning the Japan Series in 2013. My body has reached its limit and I was unable to play for other teams, so I have decided to end my career here. I have been able to play this far thanks to my teammates, team members, family, and fans. Thank you for the past 14 years."

Shimauchi joined Rakuten Eagles as the sixth pick in the 2011 draft, and in 2013, the year the team won its first league championship and Japan's top spot, he played in 97 games, batting .284 with Home Run and 38 RBI. While he didn't reach the required number of at-bats in 2016, he played in 114 games, batting .287, and the following year in 2017, he played in 143 games, batting .265 with Home Run and 47 RBI, reaching the required number of at-bats for the first time. He won the RBI title in 2021 (96 RBI) and the most hit title in 2022 (161 hit), but his opportunities to play in the first team have decreased in recent years, appearing in only five games last season.