Orix Buffaloes pitcher Ryuhei Sotani has been scheduled to start in the game against Lotte on the 8th (at ZOZO Marine Stadium). The left-hander had been removed from the roster after the game against Yakult on June 10th (Kyocera Dome Osaka) to prioritize his conditioning. Since returning to action in the minor leagues, he has steadily increased his pitch count from 25 to 49, and in the game against Softbank Hawks on the 1st (at Tamasta Chikugo), he threw 76 pitches in 4 innings, although runs. Before his absence, the left-hander had a record of 4 wins (3 losses) in 8 games. "I have no worries. Thanks to many people around me, I was able to come back like this. I am truly grateful, and I hope to show my appreciation with my play tomorrow," he said with determination.

As of before the game on the 7th, the team is in 4th place, 6 games behind 3rd-place Nippon-Ham which is in the playoff zone. They have a winning percentage of 50%, and the games they can't afford to lose continue as they try to catch up to the top teams. "I hope I can be a part of that, and none of the players have given up yet. We want to take each game seriously." He will once again overwhelm hitter with his fastball that consistently approaches 150 km/h and his "rollercoaster slider" with a large break.