The Orix Buffaloes announced on the 5th that they have notified catcher Yuma Tongu that they will not be renewing his contract as a registered player for the upcoming season.

He joined the Orix Buffaloes as a second-round draft pick in 2018 from Asia University. In 2023, his fifth professional year, he played in 113 games as the regular first baseman and won the title of leading hitter with a .307 batting average, 16 Home Run, and 49 RBI.

This season, he was sidelined after injuring the back of his right knee while hitting a Home Run during an intra-squad game at the Miyazaki camp in February. Although he recovered enough to return to actual competition at one point, his symptoms worsened again, and in July, he underwent reconstruction of the medial meniscus of the right knee joint, high tibial osteotomy of the right knee joint, and autologous osteochondral mosaicplasty of the right knee joint.

After a month and a half of hospitalization, he was discharged at the end of August and is currently undergoing rehabilitation at the club's facilities in Maishima, Osaka. It is expected that he will be offered a developmental contract for next season.