On the 29th, Seibu Lions announced that they had acquired outfielder Rakuto Wakabayashi (28) from The Giants Yomiuri Giants in a cash trade. This marks Wakabayashi's return Seibu Lions since the 2024 season.

outfielder, a right-handed pitcher and right-handed batter, was drafted by the Seibu Lions as the fourth overall pick in the 2020 draft out of Komazawa University. He was traded to the The Giants midway through the 2024 season in exchange for Seiya Matsubara. In his sixth professional season this year, he has appeared in 21 games, batting .179 with 5 hit. He has not been named to the RBI or the home run.

　西武は首位・ソフトバンクと５・５ゲーム差の２位で前半戦を終えた。外野手は現在、ＤｅＮＡから昨オフにＦＡ移籍した桑原と交流戦で球団初のＭＶＰに輝いた長谷川が負傷離脱中。昨年自身初のゴールデン・グラブ賞も受賞した西川が中堅手に固定され、左翼と右翼を新外国人のカナリオや林安可、岸、蛭間らが争っているが、守備面の不安や打撃状態などから完全な固定には至っていない。球団初の優勝を飾った交流戦後、１１勝１９敗１分けと接戦を勝ちきれない試合が続いており、１９年以来の優勝へ勝負強い打撃と機動力を併せ持つ若林に白羽の矢が立った形となった。