Yuya Gunji, catcher for the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters, took part in a rare “parent-child” game on the 13th, appearing in the farm team’s contest against the Rakuten Eagles at Kamagaya Stadium before potentially playing in the evening’s first-team match against the Lotte Marines at ZOZO Marine Stadium. This is the first time the 28-year-old has experienced such a double duty since joining Nippon-Ham midseason in 2023.
Gunji started as the leadoff hitter and designated hitter in the afternoon’s second-string game. He had played through the seventh inning as the sixth batter and third baseman in the previous day’s game against Lotte. Early on the 13th, he left the team’s accommodations at 7 a.m. to head to Kamagaya Stadium. Due to the inability to prepare a home uniform for this unusual schedule, he wore a staff jersey with number 108.
This season, Gunji has appeared in 39 games with a .239 batting average and two home runs—not fully meeting expectations for the player once slotted as the No. 4 hitter on Opening Day. After the game on the 12th, the coaching staff proposed the parent-child game plan, and manager Tsuyoshi Shinjo shared specific advice on his hitting approach. “They’ve given me the points to focus on, so I can be bold about it,” Gunji explained. “In the first team, results matter a lot, so there are things I can’t try. I want to test them out in the second-team game.”
Shinjo had previously commented after a game on the 9th, saying, “We’re waiting for Gunji-kun. I feel like his bat speed at impact isn’t quite there. When he’s good, he takes a slow timing and meets the ball right in front. That’s been lacking a bit lately,” expressing hope for the catcher’s return to form.