Japanese Baseball: Hsu Ru-hsi to start against Yokohama, will bat for first time

Taiwanese pitcher Hsu Ru-hsi, currently with the SoftBank Hawks, is set to make his next start against the Yokohama DeNA BayStars on Saturday at 1 p.m. Taiwan time. This game, part of the interleague series and played at a Central League ballpark, will be a significant milestone as Hsu will step up to the plate for his first professional at-bat.

Hsu made his return to the top team on May 31st, starting against the Hiroshima Carp at the Fukuoka Dome. This was his first appearance in 27 days, during which he delivered an impressive performance, pitching six innings and striking out seven batters without allowing any runs. This victory marked his second win of the season, following his debut win on April 1st, demonstrating the effectiveness of his adjustments after a period of training in the minor leagues.

However, a notable change for this upcoming game is that Hsu's battery mate, the Gold Glove catcher Yamamoto Yutai, has been removed from the active roster due to a fatigue fracture in his left wrist. This means the pair will not be able to team up again for the time being. The game also presents another point of interest: the Central League still retains the pitcher-hitting rule. Therefore, when Hsu takes the mound, he will experience the same situation as former Taiwanese pitcher Chen Wei-yin did during his time with the Chunichi Dragons, where pitchers were required to bat.

The Yokohama DeNA BayStars will counter with 27-year-old right-handed pitcher Ogata Takato. Ogata has made only one start in the top team this season, which was on May 31st against the Seibu Lions, where he pitched five scoreless innings to secure a win.