Hanshin’s First-Round Pick Shimomura Undergoes Tommy John Surgery: Manager Okada Expresses Frustration

Hanshin Draft No. 1 pitcher Kaiyo Shimomura, 22, underwent Tommy John surgery to reconstruct the medial collateral ligament of his right elbow, and was released from the hospital on April 11, the team announced. The Tigers were shocked. Shimomura commented through the baseball team’s public relations department.

I received advice from many people who have supported me, and I made the decision to have the surgery. I feel frustrated because I have not been able to do anything since I joined the team, but I will not forget my gratitude to the team for respecting my decision, and I will work sincerely on my rehabilitation so that I can return to work as soon as possible and be of help to the team.

A Hanshin correspondent for a sports newspaper revealed, “He was selected for the University Japan last year.

Last year, Shimomura was throwing a lot when he was selected for the University Japan team, but after joining the team, he turned around and made no throws. Since there has been no information on him at all, fans have been asking, ‘What is our DRA1 doing? ‘ This was the talk of the town among the fans.

Manager Akifumi Okada (66) could not remain silent when a rookie with instant success underwent surgery before even throwing a single pitch.

Last year, the team won the Japanese championship for the first time in 38 years. The pitching staff, including Odeki Murakami (25), who became the first player in Central League history to win both the league’s MVP and rookie of the year awards, was outstanding, but Akihiro Aoyagi (30) and Masashi Ito (27) were showing signs of fatigue from their long service. Anticipating this, Manager Okada decided to select a pitcher with immediate potential as the top pick in last fall’s draft.

However, Shimomura had not been able to throw at full strength since his rookie joint training camp in January of this year, and although he was adjusted at the second team for the spring training camp, it turned out that he could not throw properly in the bullpen. He was given a reprieve so that he could return to the lineup, but it is said that manager Okada has not stopped blaming the front office and scouts for not taking a proper view of the situation.

(The same source) Perhaps due to the team’s poor performance, Okada’s frustration is only growing, as he refuses to be interviewed by reporters from the pen.

He refused to be interviewed by reporters from the pen. No matter how hard I work, the people who support me fail. I can’t do this! I can’t do it! I wonder how much the scouts in charge had informed the top management in advance of the possibility of Tommy John surgery. If it was an ambiguous “report,” it could even lead to a liability issue.

Incidentally, Mr. Makoto Yoshino (46), a left-handed reliever during the first Okada administration in 2005, was in charge of Shimomura. He should be familiar with the manager’s personality.