Nippon-Ham pitcher Hiromi Ito joined the team on the 17th, and was greeted with applause from players, staff, and other related personnel.

He had just returned to Japan on the 16th after giving up a go-ahead three-run homer in the WBC quarterfinal against Venezuela, resulting in a heartbreaking defeat. He had planned to rest that day, but explained, "Considering my physical condition, I thought it would be better to move around today. I felt it would be better to move rather than think about it."

After giving up the go-ahead home run in the WBC, he received slander and abuse on social media, but he accepted it, saying, "Given the outcome, I think someone had to end up in this position, so I'm glad it was me." He then looked ahead, saying, "Of course I'm tired, but more than that, there are a lot of things I want to do right now. I think the only way to overcome the frustration I feel about baseball is through baseball, so I want to manage myself properly so as not to overwork myself and not cause any trouble for the team."

Manager Shinjo sent him a direct message immediately after lose, and they spoke directly again today. Ito said he "cannot disclose" the details of their conversation, including the unscheduled opening pitcher. Nevertheless, when asked about his feelings regarding the opening pitcher, Ito said, "Of course, that was one of the things I took into consideration when I made my decisions today." Despite the painful experience, he is not stopping and is moving forward towards the opening day.