Orix Buffaloes outfielder Ryoma Nishikawa (31) set his sights on appearing in every game for the second consecutive year on the 13th. The genius hitter, who experienced playing every game for the first time in his 11th professional year and shared his first most hits title with Nishikawa (Lotte), looked ahead to his independent training, stating, 'It is natural to appear in games. It is meaningless if results do not follow.'

While he hit 13 Home Runs this season, reaching double digits for the first time in four years, his batting average was .271. He expressed gratitude for Manager Kishida's consideration, saying, 'I think he was being mindful of me by putting me in the games toward the end.' He was exempt from participating in autumn practice and made effective use of his time. He had a lipoma removed from his back, which he said caused discomfort even when batting, and he is scheduled to restart training from the beginning of next week.

He intends to fully recover from the left ankle injury he sustained last July and push himself to the limit in running, hitting, and fielding. 'Having played in every game, there are things I've realized anew. I need to raise my level in every aspect,' he said with determination. As a key mainstay, he is indispensable to Manager Kishida, who is entering his third year after the team sank into the bottom half of the standings for the first time in two years. He continues to strictly evaluate his own performance. (Toru Osada)