Orix Buffaloes pitcher Sho Iwasaki was removed from the active roster on the 17th. In the game Rakuten Eagles on the 16th (Rakuten Eagles Mobile Saikyo Park Miyagi), he came in as a reliever in the 6th inning with a two-run lead, but gave up a go-ahead grand slam to Asamura. He had been struggling in his last three games, giving up a total of eight runs, and ERA had worsened to 8.71.

His fastball consistently clocks in the mid-150s, and the 36-year-old right-hander is an indispensable pillar of the team’s morale at bullpen. “There were times when I was pushing myself too hard—thinking, ‘I absolutely have to hitter closer’ (pitch),” he said, analyzing his current situation.With the prospect of throwing multiple inning in the farm system as part of his adjustment, he promised a return to form, saying, “I think it’s necessary to throw while using a variety of pitches and staying relaxed in a good way. I want to thoroughly rework everything, including my mechanics.”

Along with Iwasaki, pitcher Ryusei Gonda has also been removed from the active roster. In the game Rakuten Eagles on the 16th, he was pulled after giving up 3 runs in 1/3 of an inning.