On the 4th, Lotte outfielder Gregory Polanco stated his goals for this season as "avoiding injuries" and "winning the league and becoming the best in Japan."

Last season, his third year with Lotte, he batted .21 with five Home Run and 13 RBI in 39 games. On June 30th, he was removed from the active roster due to inflammation caused by a subluxation in his right shoulder, and underwent surgery on his right shoulder in the United States. "Unfortunately, I was injured last year, so I want to stay injury-free this season and have a season where Lotte can win the league and become the best in Japan. I've been actively practicing batting during the off-season, and I've also been doing weight training, running, and agility training. I will continue to work hard at the training I'm currently doing. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all the fans for their support during my surgery and rehabilitation period. I hope to have a great year with you all," he said, renewing his resolve as he approaches his fifth season in the NPB.

"What I expect from Polanco is home run and long hits. I'm thinking of talking to him about various things at training camp," said Manager Saburo. The manager is also looking forward to seeing Polanco produce a lot of "POWER!!", his catchphrase after Home Run.