Overview
- The former Carp infielder, Ryutaro Hazuki, admitted the charge Friday at Hiroshima District Court and received a one-year sentence suspended for three years.
- In testimony, he said other Carp players were also using the drug and said he first believed a shisha product had no illegality.
- Following Friday’s hearing, team executive Kiyomi Suzuki said the club will re-interview all players, noting the internal check is not a police probe and may not be made public.
- Prosecutors said Hazuki began using by April 2025, and the indictment centers on him vaporizing and inhaling a small amount at his Hiroshima home around December 16, 2025.
- Etomidate, often called “zombie tobacco,” is a designated substance in Japan that can cause convulsions or loss of consciousness when misused.