[Nippon-Ham] Kenta Uehara to start training camp as a relief pitcher for the first time bullpen: “I’m still feeling my way around, so I want to do it without rushing.”
Sports Hochi
2026.1.8(木) 15:19
On the 8th, Nippon-Ham pitcher Kenta Uehara entered bullpen for the first time since the end of last season at the second-division facility in Kamagaya, Chiba. He pitched 31 pitches to check his sense of the slope.
He took his time to carefully check his senses. Uehara said with a wry smile, “It was my first time on an incline since the season ended. It just felt strange.”
Last season, he established himself as a reliever in the second half of the season. In 27 games, he went 3-1 with 1 save and 13 hold and bullpen. He will be camping as a reliever for the first time in his 11th year as a professional, but he said, “I have been in camp as a starter for 10 years, so I don’t know how to adjust reliever (laughs).
During the offseason, he reduced his 100kg body fat by 2% and increased his muscle mass, preparing the base of pitch before heading into training camp.
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AloJapan.com