Lotte's Aito has appeared in 17 games since being recalled to the first team on June 12th, and has produced results in starting line-up starting appearances with a batting average of .273, 1 Home Run, 8 RBI, and 2 sacrifice bunt.

His first starting line-up since re-promotion was on June 12 against DeNA, with no hit, but the next day, June 13, against DeNA, in the fourth inning with two outs and runners on second and third in the fourth inning with a score of 1-15, he hit a two-run triple on the fifth pitch of the 150 km/h fastball thrown by Kentaro Shinoki from 2-ball, 2-strike with a two-run over right-center field, marking his first hit since being recalled.

In the first game after the league season resumed against Rakuten Eagles on June 19, in his third at-bat in the 6th inning with two outs and the bases loaded, with the score tied 4-4, he said, "It was a chance that everyone had worked together to create, and they trusted me and didn't send in a pinch hitter, so I focused. I'm glad I was able to hit it." He hit a game-grand slam, his first since joining the team, off the sixth pitch, fastball thrown by Daichi Shibata with a 3-ball, 2-strike, into the left field stands.

Having focused on hitting for power, this Home Run was a way of showing gratitude to his mentor, Hideto Asamura (Rakuten Eagles), with whom he trained during the offseason when he was with Seibu Lions Lions.

"We've been training together on our own since about my fifth year, so I've been able to show him my strengths, and during Seibu Lions, he saw both my good and bad points. Being able to hit my first home run in front of my mentor after the trade—I know one hit like that isn't enough to repay him for everything he's taught me—but being able to hit in front of the person who's been teaching me all this time is a great memory, and I'm really glad it happened."

In the games against Rakuten Eagles on the 21st and Softbank Hawks on the 28th, he recorded multiple hit, making a strong impression when starting line-up the chance to start. In the game Softbank Hawks on July 5th, where he achieved his third multi-hit of the season, he said, "It had been a while since I was in the starting starting line-up, so I went for the hits aggressively, and I think it was good that I was able to persevere and get a hit." In his first at-bat in the 3rd inning with no outs and no runner on base and the score 0-3, he fouled off several pitches and, on the 11th pitch thrown by Haru Matsumoto with a 3-ball, 2-strike, he hit hit fastball to center fielder for a single, creating a scoring opportunity that led to Kyota Fujiwara 's two-run RBI single, making it a very meaningful at-bat.

In July, he got hit in 5 out of the 7 games in which he was in starting line-up lineup, and in the game against Seibu Lions on the 15th, in his third at-bat in the 6th inning with two outs and no runner on base, he hit doble center fielder field fence off fastball thrown by Masaya Kuroda on a 2-ball, 1-strike.

◆ base running and defense

Although he hasn't stolen base base since being base running, he made a great base-running play in the game against Softbank Hawks on June 28th, in the 5th inning with no outs and a runner on first base, when Atsuki Tomosugi hit a fly ball to left field. Seeing left base running Kensuke Kondo getting into position catch, he tagged up to second base.

"Basically, I think whether a move like base running or defense is doable or not is up to my own judgment. When I used that kind of grip on outfielder and got into that position, I felt I could go for it, so I went for it."

Even after defending, in Game Softbank Hawks that day, with the score 0-0 in the first inning and no runner, Ukyo Shuto dived catch a shallow center fielder fly ball to left-center field. On July 15, in Game Seibu Lions, with one out and a runner on third in the 8th inning with a 3-7 score, he catch Natsuo Takizawa a center fielder fly ball and tagged out the runner and Manaya Nishikawa at third base with a shot throw like an arrow.

"I've always said this, but baseball isn't just about batting. There's a lot to do, like base running and defense, and in this day and age, people say pitching is strong and hitting is weak, so everyone's thinking about batting. I understand that, but baseball is a sport that's not just about batting, there's also defense and base running. I think that's my strength, and I want to continue doing that without changing it."

base running and defense are flawless, and now his batting is also producing results. "As a team, we want to not just get one win, but keep winning, and personally, I want to stick to what I've been doing. Not just batting, but defense and base running as well, I want to give my all and not think too far ahead, day by day." He wants to cherish each day in front of him.

Interview and text by Yuta Iwashita