"Seen with a wedding ring, excitedly heading to a hotel with a beauty" — Japan in uproar over infidelity scandal involving baseball star!

*This content was translated by AI.

Takanaishi Yukihi (34), the ace pitcher for the Yomiuri Giants, one of Japan's most prestigious NPB teams, has been engulfed in a late-night infidelity scandal, sending shockwaves across Japan.

The Japanese weekly magazine "Friday Digital" reported exclusively on the 8th that it captured Takanaishi enjoying a secret rendezvous with an attractive woman at a hookah bar located in Tokyo's Ginza district before moving to a nearby hotel.

According to the report, the incident occurred on a weekend night in mid-July. Around 9:30 p.m., after a game against the Chunichi Dragons held at Tokyo Dome concluded, Takanaishi got out of his car in front of a building in Ginza.

Although he did not pitch that day, Takanaishi appeared to be in good spirits following the Giants' victory and walked lightly toward the bar inside the building. At the time, his wedding ring was clearly shining on his left ring finger. Takanaishi had announced his marriage in 2022.

After spending about five hours at the bar, Takanaishi sent away four male companions around 2:30 a.m. and re-entered the bar. About an hour later, around 3:30 a.m., he exited the building with a woman dressed in a long dress.

The article described that "Takanaishi repeatedly extended and withdrew his left hand several times as if to hold the woman's hand or carry her luggage, unable to hide his excited demeanor." Having waited for six hours from right after the game until early morning before exiting the bar with the woman, he hailed a taxi and moved to a hotel within Tokyo. The two entered the hotel separately at different times while keeping an eye on their surroundings and did not emerge until the following morning.

Debuting in professional baseball with the Rakuten Eagles in 2017, Takanaishi was traded to the Yomiuri Giants in 2020. After joining the team, he established his position as a one-inning reliever and setup man. In this season marking his 10th year in the pros, his estimated annual salary reaches 150 million yen (approximately 1.4 billion won).

He began the season on the third division due to an injury but continued a successful return after being registered with the first division on May 1, recording wins as a winning pitcher. Later, he was removed from the first division roster on July 19 and is currently assigned to the second division roster. His first-division NPB statistics for this season include 18 games, one win, no losses, five holds, and an ERA of 2.70.

Friday Digital stated that it plans to sequentially release follow-up reports, including the official statement from the Yomiuri Giants organization and Takanaishi's own explanation. As news spread that a veteran pitcher on the team was caught in a late-night secret rendezvous while wearing his wedding ring, strong voices of criticism and disappointment have emerged among local fans.

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.