Softbank Hawks announced on the 12th catcher Yuta Yamamoto underwent surgery to remove the hook of his left hamate bone at a hospital in Saga City on the same day. He is expected to be out of action for two to three months.

On May 12, Yu Yamamoto was traded from DeNA in a deal involving Shuto Ogata, pitcher, Tomoya Inoue, and infielder. The trade of this key player became a major talking point.He immediately became a key player for his new team, posting impressive stats—a .349 batting average, 2 Home Run, and 9 RBI—in 14 games. However, he suffered a left-hand injury during the game against Chunichi on the 3rd and was forced to leave the game early. It was later revealed that he had sustained a stress fracture in his left hand.