SoftBank's Ishizuka hit in face by pitch, stretchered off in accident; Orix's Machado ejected for dangerous pitch

In a sixth-inning incident during a SoftBank vs. Orix game on June 23, 2026, at Mizuho PayPay Dome, SoftBank catcher Soichiro Ishizuka was struck in the face by a pitch and removed from the game on a stretcher. The accident occurred in the ninth inning with two outs and no runners on base, when Orix pitcher Andres Machado's fastball struck Ishizuka directly in the face. As Ishizuka collapsed and was carried off the field, the stadium erupted in shock and concern. Manager Yuki Okubo and other SoftBank staff rushed from the dugout to attend to him. Machado was ejected from the game for throwing a dangerous pitch, and relief pitcher Soichiro Yamasaki took the mound in his place. The incident drew immediate reactions from both teams, bringing them to the brink of a confrontation on the field. Ishizuka had recently been promoted to the first team on June 19 and had impressed on June 21 against the Nippon-Ham Fighters, recording three hits and one RBI. At the time of the incident, he held a batting average of .364 with three RBIs in three games.