Yomiuri Giants slugger Roberto Petagine, who has been out of action with an injured left knee, will make his return to the top team in a preseason game against the Yakult Swallows on Thursday.
Petagine went 2-for-2 with a homer and was issued a walk by Fumiya Nishiguchi in a game against the Seibu Lions' farm team at the Seibu Dome annex in Tokorozawa, Saitama Prefecture, on Wednesday.
He homered in the fourth and doubled down the right-field foul line in the fifth.
"Tomorrow we'll have him (Petagine) play," said Yomiuri head coach Yutaka Sudo. "He's not quite in the starting blocks yet but this is a step forward."