Lotte's Ryota Takeuchi made his first appearance in a minor league regular season game on August 26th against DeNA after returning from 'right elbow medial collateral ligament reconstruction and right elbow cleaning surgery,' and he also pitched one inning with no runs against Hiroshima in a minor league game on the 2nd, marking two consecutive games where he served as a closer with no runs.

Takeuchi joined Lotte as the first pick in the 2023 developmental draft. During his first year, he focused on physical conditioning, gaining nearly 10 kilograms, and his fastball speed reached a maximum of 154 km/h. In an interview on February 1, 2025, he spoke with conviction, saying, 'My speed is a weapon, and I think having that speed is an advantage against opponents, as it leaves an impression through the numbers. I believe that is a good thing.'

Last season, he was limited to just one appearance on the farm in a game against Oisix on June 24, and on July 18 of the same year, he underwent 'right elbow medial collateral ligament reconstruction and right elbow cleaning surgery' at a hospital in Tatebayashi City, Gunma Prefecture.

Regarding his rehabilitation period, Takeuchi reflected, 'I heard from various seniors who had undergone Tommy John surgery that it's definitely going to be painful no matter what. I was told, or rather we discussed, how to face that pain. In my case, the pain subsided early on, and now I can throw without much discomfort, so I think my recovery is progressing quite quickly.'

On August 26th, in a minor league game against DeNA, he made his first regular season appearance since returning from Tommy John surgery. Takeuchi, who took the mound in the 7th inning with the score at 2-7, threw his second pitch to the lead-off batter Tomoya Inoue after a 1-strike count. Although it was a high outside ball, it clocked in at 155 km/h. When asked if he had broken his personal record, he told us, 'My fastest was in a practice game or something, but I hit 158 km/h.'

However, he clarified that he did not clock 158 km/h in a practice game after Tommy John surgery, stating, "That was before the surgery. I hit 158 km/h before the surgery, and while I'm not at my maximum yet, I think things are progressing well."

Against that Tomo Inoue, he got him to swing and struck out on a 140 km/h cutter after a 3-ball, 2-strike count.

If you call it a cutter, it's a cutter, and if you call it a fast slider, it's a fast slider, but in my mind, I call it a cutter. It's the ball I can throw into the zone the most, and I have confidence in it. Since I was able to get it into the zone and function well as a closer the other day, I think it will be my primary pitch.

Takeuchi got the next batter, Taiki Sekine, to ground out to second on a 142 km/h cutter thrown on a 3-2 count. Although Shuto Naruse hit a single to the center fielder, Takeuchi got Jumpei Azuma to ground out to second on a 150 km/h fastball on a 1-1 count. In his first appearance in a minor league regular season game since returning, he pitched 1 inning with 19 pitches, allowing 1 hit, recording 1 strike out, and giving up 0 runs.

Looking at the results so far, I think some things are going well, so I feel a huge sense of relief.

Regarding the parts of himself that have "grown" following Tommy John surgery, he revealed, "I don't have any particular sense of it myself, but perhaps the areas where I don't feel it are where I'm growing. I think growth is accumulating in ways I don't even realize."

According to Atsuki Taneichi, he mentioned Takeuchi's name as one of the young players who asked him about his pitch form. His desire to grow even further is insatiable. "Of course, I won't rely solely on the cutter, but on my straight ball. If you ask what kind of pitcher the team wants me to be, my appeal lies in my speed. I want to bring that to the forefront." He will continue to make his case using his powerful fastball as a weapon.

Interview and text by Yuta Iwashita