Rakuten Eagles Kenta Maeda pitcher (37) participated in a voluntary training session in Kinmu-cho, Okinawa, on March 31.

Ken Maeda returned to the Japan baseball world after 11 years. He is expected to play a role as a pillar of the starting rotation. The right-hander, who has won 165 wins in Japan and the United States, has set a goal of 180 inning innings pitched. "I think the most important thing for a starter is to throw a long inning," he said.

Spring training will begin on February 1st. Maeda Ken has been selected as a member of the first-team training camp in Kin Town, Okinawa.