◆ Pacific League: Softbank Hawks vs. Rakuten Eagles (3rd, Mizuho PayPay Dome)

Softbank Hawks ・Shinji Kurano pitcher Head Coach and Head Coordinator mentioned the current situation of Kazuki Sugiyama pitcher. The guardian god, who has 4 saves this season, returned to action in the Farm League Chunichi match (Nagoya) on the 2nd. In the Nippon-Ham match (Escon) on April 11th, he was not satisfied with the content of the pitch and hit the bench and broke his left finger, but returned early. He closer 1 inning in 7 innings with 15 pitches and runs, and the fastest time was 155 km.

Speaking to reporters before the game, pitcher coach Kurano commented, "There's still room for improvement in terms of precision, but he had good power and was throwing fork well." He had previously hinted at the possibility of immediately joining the first team depending on his condition, saying, "If I think he can genuinely contribute to the first team, I'll register him." He then confirmed that his next appearance will be on the 4th in a farm league game against Orix Buffaloes (at Tamasta Chikugo). Regarding future moves such as a decision on promoting him to the first team, he said, "I think we'll have to see what happens in his next appearance," indicating a cautious approach.