It was decided on the 31st that Orix Buffaloes pitcher Sho Iwasaki (36) will start for the first time in 10 years in the game against the Rakuten Eagles on September 2nd (Morioka). To help with the shortage of starters, he is scheduled to pitch 2 innings as the first pitcher on a bullpen day. Preparing for his first start since the game against Lotte on August 28, 2016, during his time with the Softbank Hawks (Yahoo Auctions Dome), he rolled up his sleeves and said, 'Since I'm going first, I want to make sure I deliver a solid pitch.'

In his 19th professional season, he was first promoted on June 2nd and removed from the active roster on July 17th. In all three games he pitched in the farm league, he handled multiple inning. Since being promoted again on August 18th, he has pitched one inning with zero runs in each of his last two games. Manager Kishida judged the 36-year-old right-hander, who clocks in at a maximum of 160 km/h, to be the right fit, stating, 'His condition looks very good. He also has experience in the farm league.' After joining from Chunichi via a trade in May of last year, he worked at full capacity with 16 hold in 37 games. While reaching the CS will be difficult, the highly experienced veteran will set the tone. (Shunta Nambu)