Orix Buffaloes Kenya Wakatsuki catcher Kenta Wakatsuki, who participated in the World Baseball Classic, rejoined the team on the 18th for their game against Hiroshima (Kyocera Dome). He participated in the early batting practice before the game, saying, "I was eager to get started as soon as possible. Facing opponents who are all Major Leaguers, I really felt the difference in skill. I'm fired up to work even harder." He will not be in the dugout for this game, but he has restarted his preparations for the start of the season.

He began by bowing his head and saying, "It's a very disappointing result. I felt my own shortcomings, and I'm truly sorry that it was a disappointing result for the Japanese fans as well." He also watched the final match, which Venezuela won. "I watched it wishing I could have been standing there," he said, but added, "It was a great experience in every way, and I gained a lot of valuable insights."

He also took in the techniques of Venezuelan catcher Perez and others, realizing that "seeing their behavior and abilities, I still have a long way to go." He cited the fact that many catcher in the majors kneel on one knee even with runner on base as an example, saying, "I had seen it on video before and wondered why, but seeing it up close, I realized it makes a lot of sense." This has led to him catching low catch, and he reflected, "They call strike strike. I've had several pitches that were close to being called balls." He looked ahead, saying, "I want to acquire more skills."

He also reflected on reuniting with pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who plays for the Dodgers, saying, "He's grown since I was in Japan. All of his pitches have more power, and his control has really improved. I want to work hard so that we can team up again."