◆ Pacific League Seibu Lions Nippon-Ham (23rd, Belluna Dome)

pitcher Haruto Yamada who underwent right elbow cleaning surgery in March, made his first appearance in a first-team game this season on the 23rd, pitching one inning without allowing hit runs. Reflecting on his return to the first-team mound after a long time, he said with satisfaction, "I was able to show my strengths, so that was good."

He came in as the second pitcher in the 5th inning with the team trailing significantly 1-7. After one out, he hit Mizuno with Hit by Pitch, but then got Narama to hit into a double play play to third base to escape the inning. His fastest fastball was 142 km/h.

Yamada joined Seibu Lions in 2022 as the fifth pick in the draft from Omi High School. Last season, his third as a professional, he made his first appearance in a first-team game and became a key part of the team's win formula, appearing in 49 games and posting ERA of 2.08.