◆ Pacific League: Seibu Lions vs. Nippon-Ham (25th, Belluna Dome)

On the 25th, ahead of the game against Nippon-Ham (Belluna Dome), the Seibu Lions registered three players to the active roster: outfielder Masayuki Kuwahara (33), outfielder An-Ko Lin (29), and outfielder Seiya Watanabe (23). On the previous day, the 24th, when there was no game, the team had removed three players from the active roster: pitcher Haruto Yamada (22), infielder Takayoshi Yamamura (23), and infielder Taiyo Sato (24).

Kuwahara, in his first year with the Seibu Lions, suffered a left oblique muscle strain during a game against Nippon-Ham on July 11 (at Es-Con). He had been undergoing rehabilitation. This season, he was also sidelined in April due to a left calf strain, and with two stints away from the lineup, he has appeared in 54 games, recording 3 Home Runs, 15 RBI, and a .236 batting average. This marked his return after about a month and a half. After finishing his rehab, Kuwahara looked back on his time with the farm team with a laugh, saying, "It was incredibly hot. It was crazy. I got really tanned."

Since establishing himself as a regular with DeNA in 2016, Kuwahara has appeared in over 100 games every year, excluding 2019 and 2020 when a slump cost him playing time. This season, after two stints away from the roster and a lengthy rehabilitation period, he remarked, "It’s truly thanks to everyone’s hard work. I was away from the top team for nearly three months, so we are in this position because of everyone else's efforts. I hope I can jump in and contribute to that." The reliable leadoff man has finally returned for the final stretch of the season.

He experienced winning the Japan Series during his time with DeNA. The 33-year-old, who has accumulated a wealth of experience, tightened his focus, saying, 'There is only a little over a month left in the regular season. While it's not exactly the same as the mindset for a short-term playoff series, my commitment to focusing on the game in front of me and giving it my all remains unchanged. I think I should just keep doing what I've been doing as usual.'