Japanese media: Yu Darvish to participate as a consultant in WBC Japan team training

Reports from Japan’s Sankei Shimbun and Jiji Press on the 28th state that San Diego Padres pitcher Yu Darvish will act as a consultant during the Japan national team’s pre-WBC training camp.

The Japan team’s training is planned to start on February 14 in Miyazaki City. At the invitation of head coach Hirokazu Ibata, Darvish will join the camp as an informal coach, mainly offering players experience sharing and technical advice.

Darvish underwent right elbow surgery last October and is currently in the recovery phase. In the previous 2023 WBC, he was selected as a player for the Japan team, being the only MLB player to participate throughout the entire training period, and helped Japan secure the championship.

Taisei, a pitcher for the Yomiuri Giants who was selected for this year’s Japan team, expressed during an interview in Miyazaki that he was “surprised and excited” to learn Darvish would be present. He added, “He was a key figure in the team during the last tournament. I hope to learn from his wide range of experience and prepare myself in the best possible way for the event.”

Additionally, Hideki Matsui, nicknamed “Godzilla,” who has played in both Nippon Professional Baseball and Major League Baseball, also plans to visit the training site to cheer on the Japan team players.