Orix Buffaloes pitcher Yuki Udagawa continues to make a strong appeal for a return to the active roster and the first-team mound at the fall camp being held in Kochi City.

"I focused on throwing powerful pitches into the zone and threw with everything I have right now. The competition for next season has already begun, so I threw as if it were a real-game bullpen session." Udagawa spoke with excitement after throwing 43 pitches on the second day of camp during his pitch practice.

Udagawa joined from Sendai University after being selected as the third pick in the 2020 developmental draft. After being promoted to the active roster in July 2022, he appeared in 19 games, recording 2 wins, 1 loss, and 3 holds, utilizing his 150+ km/h fastball and fork as weapons. He broke out as a reliever with an ERA of 0.81 and contributed to the team's consecutive league titles. In 2023, he made a career-high 46 appearances in the regular season, posting an ERA of 1.77, but in 2024, he was limited to 13 appearances due to shoulder and elbow injuries, and underwent Tommy John (TJ) surgery on March 11, 2025.
　
This season, he returned to actual competition for the first time in 552 days in a game against Showa Corporation on March 19 and continued to make appearances toward a steady recovery, but he had to make an emergency exit due to elbow discomfort during a practice game on July 15. Since then, he has been away from actual games, but his progress has been smooth, and it was decided to skip his appearances in the Phoenix League, judging it better for him to prepare for next season without overexerting himself.

In the bullpen at the Kochi camp, although his velocity was not measured, he threw heavy, rising fastballs low in the zone, demonstrating his recovery to manager Mamoru Kishida and coach Kazuyuki Atsuzawa. Because his arm muscles had bulked up from weight training and his range of motion had expanded, his uniform became too tight, leading him to tear the right armpit area himself. The results of over a year of rehabilitation were evident even in such a place.

It seemed like a major step forward toward returning to the active roster and the first-team mound next season, but Udagawa said, 'I don't think I'll definitely be able to return to the roster even if I'm in good shape next year.' Udagawa continued, 'Considering what happened this year with my mid-season departure, and the fact that there are other good pitchers like Matthew, I won't even see a roster spot unless I make them want to call me up to the first team. I don't have any room for complacency. My top priority is to show that I am better than anyone else in the bullpen.' He intends to cast aside his past achievements and focus entirely on proving himself.

For Udagawa, beyond his personal desire to be on the active roster, he has a strong wish for the 'Kogita Generation'—formed by himself and fellow pitchers born in 1998, Soichiro Yamazaki and Atsuya Kogita—to return to form together and contribute to the team. After the 2026 season, pitcher Yoshihisa Hirano, who served as a player-coach, along with pitcher Nobuyoshi Yamada and pitcher Hitomi Honda, retired one after another, and pitcher Shota Abe was also released. These were the seniors and juniors who supported the three consecutive league titles and the Japan Series championship from the bullpen. 'Including Higa (pitching coach Motoki Higa), the reliable seniors led us and created a great atmosphere. Hirano-san and the others built an environment where everyone could easily demonstrate their abilities. Now, we are the only ones who can build that kind of team because we grew up watching them.'

The three members of the Ogita generation contributed to the championships and the Japan Series title in 2022 and 2023. Over those two years, Udagawa recorded a total of 23 holds, Yamazaki recorded a total of 33 holds, and Ogita also recorded 12 holds. This season, Yamazaki made a comeback by appearing in over 50 games (52 games) for the first time in three years and recording 25 holds. Udagawa is also showing signs of a recovery, and Ogita is aiming for a comeback after undergoing two Tommy John surgeries.

"New members are joining one after another, but we haven't been able to win a championship. I often talk with Kokita, whom I spend a lot of time with during rehabilitation, about how we need to be the ones in that leading position next time. It is our turn to lead the team." He believes that his own comeback, along with that of his teammates, will inject vitality into the team.

Interview and text by Masaki Kitano