On the 1st, the Orix Buffaloes officially announced the appointments of former Rakuten Eagles manager Hajime Miki (49) as the first-team head coach and Tatsuya Shimozono (41) as the first-team batting coach. Their numbers were decided as 88 for Miki and 84 for Shimozono, and they joined the fall camp that began in Kochi on this day. Miki, who has served as a head coach and manager for both the first and second teams at other clubs, expressed his renewed determination, saying, 'Having faced them as an opponent, I felt there were many talented players. I want to believe in and follow Manager Kishida.'

This season, the team sank to fourth place, finishing in the bottom half of the standings for the first time in two years, and their number of stolen bases was the worst in the league for the fourth consecutive year. The manager noted that the Rakuten Eagles recorded 110 stolen bases in 2025 and expressed high expectations, saying, 'He is someone with a wealth of experience. I want him to provide various arrangements.'