Disowned and Isolated—The Story Behind Hazuki’s Zombie Cigarette Arrest

“Can’t get along”

Just before the start of spring training, Hiroshima was rocked. On January 27, the Hiroshima Prefectural Police arrested Ryutaro Hazuki (25) of the professional baseball team Hiroshima Toyo Carp on suspicion of violating the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Act. On January 30, the team’s facilities were also searched, causing a major stir.

According to the prefectural police and related sources, Hazuki is suspected of using the designated drug etomidate on December 16 of last year. The matter came to light after a related party reported it, and a subsequent urine test returned a positive result.

A former player of the team said, “During the daytime on the 27th, Hazuki was doing personal training at the Ohno practice field in Hiroshima, and his conditioning seemed fine. But at night, when I turned on the news, there was a report of his arrest. ‘Stunned and speechless’—that phrase perfectly describes how I felt.”

On the 28th, former owner Hajime Matsuda (74) and the team front office, along with manager Takahiro Arai (49), issued apology statements. Hazuki was sent to the authorities on the 29th.

“Etomidate is a designated drug known as the ‘zombie cigarette,’ which rapidly spread in Okinawa around last summer. Hazuki was judged to be a habitual user and also posed a risk of destroying evidence, so he was taken into custody. The fact that the arrest happened before the start of camp is the only small relief,” said a national newspaper reporter.

Hazuki joined Hiroshima as the 7th-round draft pick in 2018. Standing 168 cm and being a small infielder, he quickly became a protégé of a senior player, Player A, and was looked after both on and off the field.

“Player A is known as a big-brother type who looks after others. Not only did he practice and sweat together on the field, but he also invited his juniors to meals privately, teaching them survival strategies in pro baseball, leisure, and relationships with women. Hazuki himself told those around him, ‘I want to catch up and surpass my senior as soon as possible,’ but a few years ago, he suddenly distanced himself.

The trigger, apparently, was Hazuki saying, ‘The overly athletic vibe doesn’t suit me.’ Player A was the type to drink heavily and party hard. Moreover, they often decided the bar tab with a manly rock-paper-scissors game. Hazuki complained things like, ‘A billionaire player could pay, but for those of us with low salaries, it’s tough.’

Hearing this, Player A got angry. Despite being teammates, he expelled Hazuki. It wasn’t about the tab—it was that Hazuki was talking behind his back. ‘If you have complaints, say it directly!’ After that, they had no contact at all. From then on, Hazuki became isolated within the team.

Additionally, Hazuki’s hair color became flashy, and his lifestyle suddenly became flashy too. Even the teammates and associates he hung out with outside the stadium changed completely. Unfortunately, there was no one to point out these changes and correct them,” said a team insider.

A local TV reporter who has covered the Carp for many years also noticed Hazuki’s changes.

“Since around last year, I’ve increasingly seen Hazuki late at night in the entertainment district. Moreover, he wasn’t with teammates or staff, but with women who appeared to be employees at hospitality establishments. At the restaurants, he sometimes ate and drank with people whose backgrounds were unclear.

After that, he started prioritizing meetings with those women over seniors or baseball associates. If he had maintained connections with his teammates, perhaps the worst could have been avoided.”

Hiroshima Prefectural Police have seized inhalation devices and containers, and will investigate the source of the drugs. At present, the team has instructed Hazuki to suspend activities, but this could develop into contract termination.

No matter the circumstances, using illegal drugs is unacceptable.