Japanese catcher Kenji Jojima impressed in an intrasquad game at the Seattle Mariners' spring training camp Monday, hitting a single in his first at-bat and playing solidly behind the plate.
Kenji Jojima connects for an RBI single during an intrasquad game at the Seattle Mariners' spring training camp.
Jojima, who started the Mariners' first intrasquad game of the spring in fifth spot in the order, singled to left in the first inning and then walked on four pitches in the four-inning game.
Defensively, the former Softbank Hawks star displayed a strong arm, throwing out a runner trying to advance to second on a potential wild pitch.
"I got a bit jammed on the pitch but it's okay because the ball got past the infield and nobody caught it," Jojima said of his single. "I don't know what kinds of pitch they throw here yet, so I need to swing at fastballs aggressively from the first pitch."
In November, Jojima signed a three-year deal with Seattle that will make him the first Japanese catcher in the major leagues after playing 11 years in Japanese baseball.