Umeno replaces injured Aizawa on Samurai Japan 24-man Olympic roster

Umeno replaces injured Aizawa on Samurai Japan 24-man Olympic roster
18/06/2021
The Hiroshima Toyo Carp catcher injured himself just hours after the roster was announced. The 30-year old Umeno is a three-time gold glover with a plus arm.

Samurai Japan has announced that catcher Tsubasa Aizawa has been taken off the 24-man Olympic roster after he suffered an injury while playing for the Hiroshima Toyo Carp of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) on the day of the initial national team roster announcement.

Aizawa said he was sorry for "causing inconvenience to coach Inaba" and that he will "sincerely support" Samurai Japan from a distance.

Manager Atsunori Inaba replaced Aizawa with the two-time All-Star and three-time gold glove winner, Ryutaro Umeno, of the Hanshin Tigers.

"I'm sorry about Aizawa's injury, and I hope he recovers soon," commented Inaba. "I would also like to express my heartfelt gratitude to Umeno for his willingness to take on the situation."

Umeno is best known for his throwing arm, which earned him the nickname Ume-chan bazooka.

"I am very proud and grateful to be a part of the Japanese National Team," commented Umeno. "I will do my best to win a gold medal for the team."

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