On the 14th, Nippon-Ham announced that they had reached a contract agreement with former Washington Nationals player Saurin Rao.

Rao joined the Dodgers as an international amateur free agent in 2015. He played as infielder at the time, but switched to pitcher in 2023. He was promoted to Triple-A the following year, 2024, and made a total of 99 appearances in the minors, including 20 starts, recording a 3.46 ERA and strike out. Last year, he made his long-awaited major league debut, playing for the Mariners and Nationals. He went 1-0 with a 4.91 ERA in eight appearances. His fastest pitch was 95.8 mph (approximately 154.2 km/h).

The 26-year-old right-hander, Lao, expressed his enthusiasm through the team, saying, "I am truly happy to have been given the opportunity to join the The Fighters family. I am looking forward to the 2026 season. I would like to thank everyone who has made it possible for me to play baseball in Japan, which has been a long-time goal of mine. I am confident that I will be able to show 100% of my ability to The Fighters' management, teammates, and all the fans, and I would like to contribute to the team in any way possible and become the best in Japan. I love winning, and I want to continue to win as a member of The Fighters. I look forward to seeing you all soon!"