Softbank Hawks ・On the 17th, Chief Coach and Head Coordinator Shinji Kurano pitcher confirmed that new addition Jackson Latridge pitcher (from the Phillies’ Triple-A affiliate) would make his competitive debut.He is scheduled to take the mound on the 19th in a farm league game against the Orix Buffaloes at Hotto Motto Field Kobe. Regarding the right-hander, who held his introductory press conference on the 13th, Kurano expressed optimism, saying, “He’s been practicing with Japanese baseballs before coming here. I think he’ll be able to settle in smoothly.”

He did enter bullpen on the 16th, but said, "I'm not pitch at full strength, so I honestly don't want to let bullpen performance influence my evaluation," indicating that he will assess his type and other factors based on his performance in games. Regarding his potential debut with the first team at the end of the season, he commented, "It's inevitable that he'll be compared to the current first-team starter. We would never build the rotation around Rutledge." He will be seen as one of the competitors among the current starter.