Carter Stewart, who turned his back on major league baseball to sign with the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks a year ago, made his first-team debut in a practice game on Friday.
With Nippon Professional Baseball's season on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic, clubs began playing practice games on what would have been opening day for the Central and Pacific leagues.
The Hawks, the three-time defending Japan Series champions, hosted the PL rival Chiba Lotte Marines, with the 20-year-old Stewart allowing one run over five innings in a 4-2 win.