◆Pre-season Rakuten Eagles and Nippon-Ham (12th, Shizuoka)

Nippon-Ham Rao pitcher (26), a new foreigner from the National League, made his first start in Japan, going 3 hit 1 runs to closer in 4 innings. His fastest speed was 152 km/h. "It was a little cold today," he said. inning The first time I saw him, I thought, "It was a little cold today, so I'm not sure if I'll be able to get more out of him when the weather gets warmer," he said, looking back with satisfaction.

He summed up the 4 inning, the most in Japan, with 59 pitches, and said, "I am conscious of throwing with the number of pitches small, and by closer the number of pitches, the burden on the reliever will be reduced, and I think it is a part that will directly lead to the team's victory." He is expected to continue to adjust as a starter, saying, "I just need to look at my current physical condition and condition, and prepare myself so that I can contribute to the victory in situations where the team needs it, whether it is a starter or a reliever." He also has experience as a starter in the minors and can be used widely.

The team is competing for the opening rotation position with WBC aces Ito and Kitayama, as well as Tatsu and Arihara already confirmed. Other candidates include Takashi Kato, who had nine wins last season, Kanemura, who was last season's opening pitcher, Hosono, who was the first draft pick in 2011, and Furubayashi, who represented Taiwan in the WBC, and the competition is fierce.