Lotte announced on the 4th that pitcher Yuki Karakawa (37) will retire from active duty at the end of this season. A retirement ceremony is scheduled to be held during the game against the Softbank Hawks (ZOZO) on October 3rd.

Karakawa joined Lotte as a first-round pick in the 2007 high school draft from Chiba's Narita High School. In 350 career games, he has 82 wins, 78 losses, 64 holds, and a 3.71 ERA. This season, he has 0 wins and 1 loss with a 7.20 ERA in one game. Upon his retirement, he released the following comment through the team.

Karakawa: "I have decided to bring the curtain down on my 19-year active career at the end of this season. While I have been unable to contribute to the team as much as I would have liked over the past few years, I entered this season with determination and reached this decision after facing myself. In the harsh world of professional baseball, I feel there were more times when things did not go well. Even so, being able to play for 19 years while being supported and cheered on by so many people is a great asset of mine. In particular, I received courage from the fans many times. I still vividly remember the loud cheers and the heart-trembling emotion I felt during my first appearance at Marine Stadium in my rookie year. Although I feel lonely that I will no longer be able to experience those cheers on the mound, I want to turn the support I have received into strength and walk my future life in my own way. I feel truly happy to have been able to play for the Chiba Lotte Marines for 19 years. To everyone who has supported me until now, thank you very much."