◆Exhibition game: Hanshin Tigers 5-0 Softbank Hawks (6th, Koshien)

Softbank Hawks Manager Hiroki Kokubo revealed the demotion of Keita Yamamoto outfielder to the second team after the Hanshin Tigers game. The fifth-year player outfielder from the developmental ranks finished 2 At Bat without hit and 1 struck out in the game Yakult against Mizuho Peipay on February 5, and 9 At Bat without hit in the open game. He has not looked like him since mid-February. The coaches were of the unanimous opinion," he said, revealing the reason for his demotion.

This brings the total number of first-team fielder accompanying the team to 18. The breakdown is as follows: three catcher (Watanabe, Tanigawara, and Umino); eleven infielder (Kawase, Yamakawa, Imamiya, Kurihara, Shoji, Hirose Takashi, Ihine, Inoue, Akihiro, Takahashi, and Nomura); and four outfielder (Yanagida, Masaki, Yanagimachi, and Sasagawa). The opening day roster fielder is expected to be around 16. If Kondo, Shuto, Makihara Dai, and Downs, who are currently away from the team for the WBC, rejoin the first team, it will mean that about six players will be cut from the current 18.

Regarding the upcoming narrowing down of the roster, manager Kokubo offered his outlook, saying, "We are thinking about doing it in time for the farm team's opening (on the 14th). There may be another step after The Giants game on the 12th (at Mizuho PayPay)."