◆ Pacific League League: Rakuten Eagles (19th, ZOZO Marine Stadium)

Rakuten Eagles 's manager, Masato Yoshii, will take charge of his first game since taking the helm on the 19th. He arrived at the stadium shortly after 2:30 p.m. that day and later appeared on ground.

The appointment of the new manager was announced on the 17th. This is an unusual move, as he will take on the role of manager midway through the season. The opponent in his first game as Rakuten Eagles 's manager will be his former team, Lotte, where he managed until last season. The manager said, "Until recently, I was looking forward to seeing the growth of the players I had worked with, but I will compartmentalize that and do my best. I want to go into the game with the mindset of beating them as an opponent. When I put on the uniform and the game starts, I want to fight with all my might." The highly anticipated battles will begin under the new manager.

◆Masato Yoshii: Born April 20, 1965, in Wakayama Prefecture. Age 61. Joined Kintetsu in 1983 as the second overall pick in the draft after graduating from Minoshima High School. Transferred to Yakult in 1995, and joined the Mets as a free agent in the offseason of 1997. After playing for three MLB teams, Orix Buffaloes in 2003. Transferred to Lotte midway through the 2007 season and retired that same year. Served as a coach for Nippon-Ham from 2008 to 2012, Softbank Hawks in 2015, Nippon-Ham from 2016 to 2018, and Lotte from 2019 to 2022. Managed Lotte from 2023 to 2025. His career record in Japan and the US is 547 appearances, with 121 wins, 129 losses, and 62 saves. Right-handed pitcher and batter.