Akiyama stayed in the game to play left field.
The Reds signed Akiyama to a three-year, $21 million contract in January. Until then, they were the only Major League Baseball team that had never had a player from Japan.
Before the game Friday, Reds manager David Bell was asked by a Japanese reporter if Akiyama would see action in the opener.
“As you know and I know everyone in Japan knows, there’s nine innings,” Bell said, “and if there are days when Shogo does not start the game, like today, what a great weapon to have off the bench. He’s going to be a huge part of our team. He’s going to start many, many games for us — hopefully for years to come. This was the lineup we decided gave us the best chance tonight, but we take into consideration that having Shogo on the bench tonight could very well play a big part in that.”
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