Hanshin left-handed pitcher Kotaro Otake entered the bullpen for the first time on the 10th, the 8th day of camp. This off-season, he has been pitching since treatment to remove a benign tumor found in his left shoulder.
Otake joined Hanshin in the active draft from Softbank last season and led the team with 12 wins, contributing greatly to the league championship and Japan's No. 1 title. Pitcher Otake revealed that one of the factors behind his great success last season was that he was able to see things in a positive light.