Lotte Marines manager Saburo (49) revealed his mixed feelings on the 6th regarding the return of pitcher Atsuki Taneichi (27), who is currently adjusting in the farm team after participating in the WBC in March as a member of Samurai Japan, to the first team: "I really want him to come back soon. But as I always say, it's a year-round process, so there's no need to rush or force it."

Taneichi returned to action in the Oisix game of the Farm League (Niigata) on the 3rd and showed a complete pitch in the third inning. On the same day, he hit a fastball with a maximum speed of 152 km/h and a fork with a 6-strike out pitch each time, including 3 consecutive hits. The next time is expected to appear in the same Nippon-Ham match (Lotte Urawa) on the 10th.

The manager said, "Like Matsumoto (Yutaka) of Softbank Hawks, I think the WBC has taken a considerable toll on his body. So, I want to proceed cautiously, checking on Taneichi's physical condition and thoughts as we go along."