Nippon-Ham infielder Franmil Reyes (31), who suffered a hamstring strain during practice on September 16, has taken a step forward toward returning to game action.

On the 3rd, he participated in practice held at the home stadium, ES CON FIELD. Although he did not participate in defense, he performed free batting for the first time since his injury, making a sharp sound with his hits. He is scheduled to fully rejoin the team on the 4th and play in an intra-squad game at the same stadium. While it was initially estimated to take about two weeks to return to game action, he has recovered smoothly, and Manager Tsuyoshi Shinjo (54) welcomed the return of his main slugger, remarking, 'It wasn't a serious injury.'

It is now highly probable that the core of the lineup, currently competing for the league's leading hitter title, will be ready in time for the Climax Series (CS) First Stage against the Seibu Lions starting on the 10th. As he was still in the rehabilitation period until today, there were no official comments from Reyes due to team regulations, but he plans to share his thoughts on the 4th, saying, "Tomorrow, tomorrow." His consistently bright expression throughout the day spoke volumes about his good condition.