◆Pre-season game Softbank Hawks Yakult (5th, Mizuho PayPay)

After starting as the third batter and third baseman in the game against Yakult on the 5th, Softbank Hawks 's Ryoya Kurihara donned the mask in the 5th inning and caught pitches from second-string pitcher Ito. This will be his first time playing catcher in an external game since the game against Seibu Lions on April 4th, 2021 (PayPay Dome). Before the game, he put on protective gear and practiced with the other catcher. CBO Jojima commented, "It looks good on you."

Kurihara joined the team as the second pick in the 2014 draft as catcher from Harue High School. From 2020, he mainly played outfield, and his last appearance as catcher was in 2021. From 2023, he became a third baseman.

The reason he originally gave up on being catcher was because they already had a permanent catcher named Takuya Kai. Manager Kokubo met with him at the beginning of training camp in February this year and confirmed that he still had regrets about being catcher. "We're preparing for the time when we might need him as an option," he said, and the team decided to explore the possibility of a super-aggressive lineup, and he had begun practicing as catcher.