Seibu Lions announced on the 16th that pitcher Haruto Yamada underwent "arthroscopic cleaning of the right elbow joint" at a hospital in Kanagawa Prefecture on the 9th. He is expected to be out of action for four months.

Last season, his third as a professional, Yamada made his debut in a first-team game and became a key part of the team's win formula, appearing in 49 games with ERA of 2.08. He was expected to perform well this season as well, even though closer Taira has returned to being a starter.