Kaima Taira pitcher (26) of Seibu Lions who was selected to represent Japan in the World Baseball Classic (WBC) in March but withdrew from the tournament on the 11th due to a "slight left calf strain" entered bullpen the Nango camp on the 12th. catcher He sat out and threw 47 pitches.

Despite not being in peak condition, he mixed in a variety of breaking ball such as curves, slider, and two seam fastball fastballs, delivering a powerful pitch. His fastest fastball was clocked at 150.6 km/h.

After pitch, he spoke to reporters about his current state of mind.

"Honestly, I think I can pitch, but the worst thing I can do is push myself and get injured again, which will delay my start in the season, so in order to avoid that, I've made the choice to start making adjustments from now on. I don't have many regrets. I'm really happy that I was chosen as the first player, and I think that alone was very valuable."

After being selected for the Japanese national team, he had been practicing with an MLB ball, but on this day he pitch with the NPB standard ball. "The ball felt a little small, and the grip was so good that my fingers hurt. As the grip (on the fingers) was strong, the spin was also strong, so it felt like my sweeper and two seam fastball pitches were curving quite a bit," he reflected. "I think I was able to apply the grip feeling of throwing a slippery ball without it slipping to the NPB ball, and I think I'll be able to throw with better spin," he said, expressing his confidence for the future.

A few days after the diagnosis, I informed manager Ibata of my intention to withdraw, and he replied, "It's unfortunate that I can't play, but there will be more tournaments in the future, so I hope you'll join me again when that time comes." From now on, I will focus on the opening day of the pennant season and continue to prepare thoroughly. (Kato Hiroshi)