Seibu Lions pitcher Chihiro Sumida (27) participated in pitcher practice held at Belluna Dome on the 7th. He spoke about the current condition of his left forearm, which was injured after being hit by a batted ball during the game against the Rakuten Eagles on September 28 (Belluna Dome).

Explaining his current condition, he said, 'If 100 represents being ready to pitch in a game, I'm at about 50 or 60 right now. I have no issues in my daily life anymore. The rest is just a matter of how it goes with baseball.'

"I think that if I pitch when I'm not at 100%, or if I don't pitch at all, it might make the fielders wonder if I'm okay. I feel like I shouldn't return until I can tell not just the coaching staff, but all the players as well, that I'm fine now. For now, I feel like I need to focus on recovering properly first," he said.

He shared his outlook, saying, "If possible, I'd like to pitch in the second game (of the CS First Stage). But it depends on whether I'm at 100% by then." He emphasized a team-first mentality, adding, "I have the desire to go out there, but the team winning is what matters most. If I'm not among the best options at that time, I'm okay with not pitching."

Chief pitcher coach Kiyoshi Toyoda, who watched the practice, only said, "I guess it means we have to keep winning until he returns." A decision will be made after assessing the extent of his recovery.