Report: Aiuchi and Sato banned indefinitely for violating rules

 

Saitama Seibu Lions players P Makoto Aiuchi and IF Ryusei Sato were banned from playing games indefinitely for violating team COVID-19 rules on Thursday afternoon. \

On April 12, Sato and Aiuchi were playing golf in Chiba prefecture, breaking the team policies regarding the possible spread of Coronavirus. Sato was the driver and broke the law by speeding. Earlier this week, both Sato and Aiuchi confirmed the details of this violation with the team. Besides the suspension from games, each player cannot wear the team uniform.  

This is the first time a Lions player has been suspended since Tatsuya Imai was caught smoking underage at a pachinko arcade in 2018. 

Aiuchi, 26, was a second round draft pick of the Lions in 2012 out of high school. At the ichi-gun level, he has mostly been a spot starter and mop up pitcher in a limited role. In 21 games over the course of five played seasons, he has a career ERA of 10.05 in 43 innings. Previously, he was suspended for smoking underage and speeding without a license.  

He released the following statement: 

"I apologize for the inconvenience caused to many people who regularly support [the Lions]. I deeply regret it. Not only about the speeding this time and the rules of the team, I should be an example [as an older player]. I am keenly aware of my responsibility as a shakaijin and will continue to act so that I will not make the same mistakes in the future."

Sato, 23, was a 7th round draft pick by the Lions in 2018. He was the only rookie to make the opening day roster in 2019 and saw several games as a reserve third baseman. In 2020, he has yet to appear in an ichi-gun game. He released the following statement: 

"I did think about my position, and I think that my own [naive decision] has caused such a situation. I deeply regret it. In the future, I will take all possible precautions to ensure that this will never happen again and will adhere to the rules of working as a shakaijin and act responsibly. I am very sorry this time."

Lions executive director Mitsuo Iida had the following statement on the self-imposed ban:

I would like to sincerely apologize to all the fans and related parties, including Ryusi Sato and Makoto Aiuchi, who are supporting this team. Our team took this situation very seriously, instructed the two athletes strictly and also took a strict disposal. Going forward, we will reinforce compliance and strengthen education to ensure that we do not disappoint our fans.

===

Follow us on Twitter @GraveyardBall