Reporter Seo Jang-won = Japanese pitcher Yu Darvish (37, San Diego Padres), participating in the 2023 World Baseball Classic (WBC), headed to Japan to join the national team.

According to Japanese media Sankei Sports, Darvish returned to Japan on the 14th through Haneda Airport. Darvish started his return schedule with his fan service, such as signing autographs for fans gathered at the airport.

Japan summoned five active major leaguers to the WBC national team. Darvish made the final roster along with Shohei Otani (LA Angels), Seiya Suzuki (Chicago Cubs), Masataka Yoshida (Boston Red Sox), and Lars Nutba (St. Louis Cardinals).

While other major leaguers join the team late after training with their current team, Darvish joined the national team early with special permission from San Diego. On the 17th, Darvish participates in the national team training that will be convened in Miyazaki, Japan, and begins to quench the WBC in earnest.

Although he is the oldest member of the Japanese national team, Darvish’s confidence is enormous. In an interview on his return to Korea, he said, “After deciding to play in the WBC, I have continued pitching in the bullpen during the offseason, so I have a good sense of it. I can throw 3-4 innings at any time in the game.” 바카라사이트

In Japan, there is a possibility that Darvish will start against China, the first opponent in the first round, or Korea, the second opponent, in the first round. The media expressed his confidence, saying, “Darvish, who stands at the center of the strongest pitching staff, will lead ‘Samurai Japan’ to regain the world’s best.”

Meanwhile, Darvish was scheduled to qualify as a free agent (FA) after the end of the 2023 season, but recently agreed to a six-year, $108 million extension with San Diego. If Darvish fulfills the full term of his contract, he will play in the big leagues until the age of 42.

Regarding this, Darvish said, “It is quite difficult to sign a long-term contract at a young age, but I signed a six-year contract with San Diego. I think it will be possible to participate in the next WBC,” expressing his desire to play an active part in the national team for a long time in the future.