It has been decided that SoftBank's Taisei Makihara (30) will be newly convened in place of Seiya Suzuki of the Cubs, who declined to represent Japan in the WBC = World Baseball Classic.
This was revealed to the press on the afternoon of the 1st by Hideki Kuriyama, the manager of the Japanese national baseball team.
Suzuki of the Cubs has been participating in the team's training camp in Arizona since last month. I decided to withdraw.
Kuriyama said about Suzuki's withdrawal from the competition, "I think he is the most frustrating and the most painful. I was talking.
He also announced that he would be recruiting SoftBank's Makihara, saying, "He's fast and has good judgment. He can defend in the center, as well as short and second. He is a player who will become a player,” and expressed his expectations.
Also, Makihara's jersey number has been decided as "5".
Taisei Makihara marked a batting average of .301 last season, even though he missed two at-bats to the regular at-bats
[5] Taisei Makihara (30 years old, Softbank) R/L
[Last season record 120 games batting average .301 6 hits 42 RBI stolen bases 13
] He is a left-handed batter who joined the team in 2006.
After being registered under control in 2012, his second year as a professional, he has served the team as a utility player capable of defending multiple positions in the infield and outfield.
Last season, although he fell slightly short of the regular batting average, he supported the team in batting with a batting average of 30%.
As a member of the Japanese national team, he has participated in the 2014 Under-21 World Cup, but this is the first time he has been selected to represent Japan in the WBC.