Nippon-Ham of Kotaro Kiyomiya infielder (26) missed the practice match with Chunichi (Chatan, Japan) on March 19. He seemed to have some discomfort during the weight. In the game, Yoshida, who replaced him at first base, hit a single and the batting line was strong. Manager Takeshi Shinjo (54) expressed confidence in the team's finish, including risk management.

Kiyomiya traveled to Chatan once, but before practice he got into a taxi and left the stadium by himself. Manager Shinjo said, "It seems he had some trouble. While he was doing weight training. It's not that he hurt himself, but he feels something stuck in his arm, so he's worried about it." Regarding the area of the injury, he said, "Maybe his elbow? Maybe his shoulder? I haven't really heard much about where he hurt. He was so strict about what he was doing."

The players were energetic in the game. Yoshida, who came in as a substitute at first base, hit a two-run home run over the left field fence with two outs and doble on first in the sixth inning. Yamagata, who had two hit, and Nomura, who hit a two-run double to left-center, also made an impact with their bats. Manager Shinjo nodded and said, "They knew this at-bat was important, and they were focused and getting results. (Their preparation) was perfect."

On defense, Yoshida will play catcher, a position he has hardly played in camp so far, in preparation for emergencies. Manager Shinjo also revealed his true feelings, saying, "We'll leave the injured players behind. There's no need to talk about it." With a deeper player base, they will be able to overcome any unforeseen circumstances. (Yamaguchi Yasushi)