◆Nippon Life Interleague Series 2026: Orix Buffaloes vs. Yakult (June 10th, Kyocera Dome Osaka)

Orix Buffaloes ・Ryu Sugisawa outfielder joined the pre-game practice on the 10th at Kyocera Dome Osaka ahead of the game against Yakult.In his fourth professional season, he made his first-team opening day roster and posted a .385 batting average in six games. Just as he was beginning to seize the opportunity for a breakthrough, he was hit by a pitch (Hit by Pitch) during the April 14 game against the Seibu Lions (Kyocera Dome Osaka) and was forced to sit out with a “distal right ulnar fracture.”Nevertheless, he remained optimistic, declaring, “I’ll be back soon!” and began rehabilitation in Maishima, Osaka. He made his return to competitive play on June 6 in a Farm League game against the Hanshin Tigers (SGL), batting ninth and playing center field, and was subsequently called up to the first team ahead of schedule.

The team secured a dramatic come-from-behind walk walk-off off victory in the first game of the series the previous day, marking their first win in their seventh game of June. This brought their lead back to four games and prevented them from dropping to fourth place. They are currently in third place, five games behind league Seibu Lions. The team's most energetic player is expected to act as a catalyst, accelerating Orix's counterattack.