◇ Chiba Lotte Marines vs. Saitama Seibu Lions exhibition game (15th, Zozo Marine Stadium)

Chiba Lotte Marines 's Polanco hit his first Home Run of the preseason.

On this day, he started as the cleanup hitter and left fielder. In the bottom of the first inning, with his team trailing by one run and two outs with a runner on second base, he stepped up to the plate. With a 0-2 count, he swung hard at a high fastball from opposing pitcher Wataru Matsumoto, and the ball flew to right field. The towering home run landed in the stands, giving his team the lead with a two-run homer, his first of the season.

Polanco was sidelined during the summer last season due to injury, limiting him to just 39 games. This season, he's expected to be in top condition from the start of spring training, and the question is whether he can lead the team with his power hitting.

Written by Aoi Nemoto