After suffering a series of injuries to both pitchers and fielders and settling for a finish outside the top three for the first time in two years, the Orix Buffaloes have begun a full-scale review to strengthen their medical support and injury prevention at the request of Manager Mamoru Kishida, who remains in his position. In addition to introducing the latest equipment and increasing staff, the team will collect basic player data at an external facility (lab) equipped with training and measurement tools before the fall camp, aiming to prevent injuries through correct and efficient training.

“Once you go to that lab, you can measure everything, so the goal is to ‘visualize’ various aspects. It helps us identify issues to address and also understand what doesn't need to be changed. Unless we bring everything to light, we cannot move forward,” explained Manager Mamoru Kishida. On October 10, as autumn training began, Kishida—who has been entrusted with his third season—revealed the aim of this new initiative at the club's facility in Maishima, Osaka, as he made a fresh start for the upcoming season.

In Manager Kishida's second year, on the pitching side, pitcher Shumpeita Yamashita left during the exhibition games due to right elbow pain. Pitcher Hiroya Miyagi also injured his left elbow in early April and left the lineup, with both undergoing Tommy John (TJ) surgery in May. On the hitting side, Yuma Tongu injured his right knee during the exhibition games and opted for surgery in July, while Tomoya Mori was unable to have a satisfactory season due to poor upper body conditioning and underwent left wrist surgery in August. Pitcher Kosei Yoshida returned one year after his TJ surgery, but few pitchers in rehabilitation returned to the first team in perfect condition. Although new players emerged, such as Ryoto Kita, who played in 103 games and hit 9 Home Runs, Haruto Watanabe in the first half of the season, and Ryoma Yamanaka in the second half, the team stalled in the latter half and was unable to reach the Climax Series.

Reflecting on the year, Manager Kishida said, 'It was a difficult season. The first half was good as the whole team worked hard together, but since the fatigue of the pitcher rotation directly impacts the team's overall stamina, the losses started piling up from the middle of the season onward.' Despite the upcoming draft and reinforcements, it remains a difficult situation to determine if the strongest possible lineup can be assembled from the start of next season. To that end, raising the level of the existing roster is an urgent task, and the introduction of the latest equipment is necessary to strengthen their bodies and prevent injuries.

The team already has equipment such as Trackman and Hawk-Eye for data analysis, but some devices have yet to be introduced. One of the things requested by Manager Kishida, who stated, 'This autumn, I want to somehow make the physical side one or two levels stronger,' is equipment to measure ground reaction force. He explained, 'With that, we can measure how the body captures the ground and moves, and at what timing power can be exerted. I believe that will change how we approach weight training and practice, so we intend to digitize those aspects and work on them. We have been working on the physical side for a long time, but without those numbers, it is not clear if what we are doing is truly correct. We want to make that clear. I believe it will lead to injury prevention and, naturally, to better performance as well.'

As a team, they were not simply standing by regarding injury prevention. On July 5th of this year at Kyocera Dome, General Manager Junichi Fukura, Team President Yuichi Kohama, conditioning staff, Manager Kishida who had finished the game against the Seibu Lions, first-team pitcher coaches including Coach Kazuyuki Atsuzawa, Roving Coordinator Coach Katsumi Mizumoto, second-team Manager Naoyuki Fazaoka, and pitcher coach Masafumi Hirai gathered in a meeting room on the first basement floor. Coach Atsuzawa, who called for the meeting, explained it as a 'confirmation process,' but discussions were held regarding the current status of the pitching staff's rehabilitation and measures leading to injury prevention.

Mitsuhiro Kubo, the Deputy General Manager and Director of Administration, attended and revealed at the end of August, "We discussed once again what kind of measures we should take, primarily focusing on the pitcher department. We debated whether we could prevent injuries and ensure early returns by improving our approach, including training, treatment, and daily routines. We were able to exchange opinions frankly and have a productive discussion. My job is to establish a backup system. I am aware that there are areas where we fall short, so I am working on how to move forward to improve those points."

The training staff is also being expanded. One temporary trainer joined in August, and currently, two people are providing care for the players on a spot basis. Deputy General Manager Kubo expressed a positive outlook on increasing staff, stating, 'I believe it is better to have people with specialized knowledge for the equipment we are introducing. There are contract issues regarding the trainers, so we will make an announcement when the timing is right.'

Regarding the Orix Buffaloes' trainer system and overall structure, Yoshida, who himself underwent Tommy John surgery in Osaka in March 2025, stated, 'I think it is an abnormal situation that so many people are undergoing surgery,' but added, 'I do not believe there is a problem with the environment here at Orix Buffaloes.' He then suggested, 'If surgeries are being performed at various hospitals, I think it would be easier if the same trainer looked after the people who went to that specific hospital. I understand there may be employment issues and such, though.' This likely implies that more meticulous care for injured players would facilitate smoother rehabilitation and lead to a more efficient return to the field.

There is no single correct answer for preventing injuries. It likely involves a combination of factors, such as overusing the elbows and shoulders during amateur years, excessive training before the body is fully developed after turning professional, and the accumulation of fatigue over a long career. The issue is not simple enough to be solved just by increasing the number of trainers; rather, multiple complex factors are intertwined. The high frequency of Tommy John surgeries is also part of the team's medium-to-long-term strategy to extend players' careers by making the decision early. However, it is also a fact that the team had fallen behind other clubs in terms of facilities. An attempt to break through the current situation and bring change to the team has now begun.

Interview and text by Masaki Kitano