Orix Buffaloes On the 20th, the team announced that Atsuya Fujikawa pitcher (18) underwent medial collateral ligament reconstruction surgery on his right elbow (commonly known as Tommy John surgery) on the 19th at a hospital in Saga Prefecture.A 153-kilometer right-hander in his first year out of high school, he joined the team as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 draft from Nobeoka Gakuen High School in Miyazaki. He began experiencing discomfort in his right elbow after his last game—a Farm League match against the Hanshin Tigers (Sugimoto Shoji BS) on June 19—and had been sidelined from competitive play since then.

Fujikawa made his farm league debut on May 3rd against Lotte (at Sugimoto Shoji BS), and in the league, he pitched a total of 10 runs innings over four games, a perfect performance. He had been carefully working on his physical conditioning and was progressing smoothly. However, the condition of his right elbow did not improve, and he has not been throwing recently. He has been in discussions with the team and has visited several hospitals. With the situation fluctuating, he has been searching for the best course of action. The future ace candidate has made a major decision to make a full recovery.

In May, the team's ace pitchers Miyagi and Yamashita underwent ligament reconstruction surgery on their left and right elbows respectively, leaving them unavailable for the season. In July, development players Kogita and Mae underwent their second Tommy John surgery on their right elbows, resulting in a series of injuries to pitcher staff. Although this will be a long-term absence for a high school graduate in his first year, the team is providing full support. The promising young player believes in a bright future and is working hard on his rehabilitation.

◆Atsuya Fujikawa: Born October 23, 2007, in Iizuka City, Fukuoka Prefecture. Age 18. He started playing baseball seriously in the 4th grade of Honami Higashi Elementary School with the Honami Blue Sky softball team, and played for the Young Kitakyushu Baseball Club in Honami Higashi Junior High School. He was on the bench from the fall of his first year at Nobeoka Gakuen in Miyazaki. He has never played in Koshien tournament. breaking ball include a curveball, slider, fork, change-up. His favorite word is "persistence". 183 cm, 93 kg. Right-handed pitcher and batter. Annual salary: 8 million yen.