Kazuhiro Kiyohara Reveals He Had Knee Replacement Surgery, Begins Rehab — 5ch: ‘He’ll Definitely Be Back’

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The story

Kazuhiro Kiyohara, formerly of the Seibu Lions and Yomiuri Giants, revealed on X (formerly Twitter) on November 3 that he underwent total knee replacement surgery on his left knee in mid-September. He said it was the same spot where he had major surgery during his playing career, and while reporting that he has begun rehab, he wrote that he’s “still getting around with a cane” but vowed, “I will definitely make a comeback.” On 5ch’s Geisupo Sokuho+ (celebrity/sports news) board, opinions split over whether this “comeback” meant a return to pro baseball or simply regaining everyday mobility, and the thread expanded into personal accounts about how well artificial joints actually work and how long they last.

Former professional baseball player Kazuhiro Kiyohara revealed on the 3rd that he had undergone surgery on his left knee.

Kiyohara posted an update on X, writing, “It was back in mid-September, but I underwent total knee replacement surgery on my left knee.” He went on to explain, “It’s the same spot where I had major surgery during my playing career.” He also revealed that he has started rehab, writing, “I’ll still be getting around with a cane for a while yet, but I’m going to keep working hard day by day so I can show you all a healthy version of myself,” before closing with a final declaration: “I will definitely make a comeback.”

[Photo] “I will definitely make a comeback” — Kiyohara pushing hard through rehab

Source: news.yahoo.co.jp / Original article here

What people said

2AnonymousNov 3, 2026 19:38
Wasn't that Kevin Yamazaki?
11AnonymousNov 3, 2026 19:41
Re: #2
Rather than just fading out for good, properly coming back once and, if your body still lets you play, getting yourself back to where you can hit — that's the kind of choice you'd make again even with a second shot at life.
3AnonymousNov 3, 2026 19:38
Did he already finish rehab for the *other* thing?
18AnonymousNov 3, 2026 19:44
Re: #3
That one takes a lifetime — he'll have to stay off it until the day he dies.
22AnonymousNov 3, 2026 19:44
Re: #3
To be serious for a second, the standard answer is that it 'never really ends until you die,' so that's kind of a dumb question.
5AnonymousNov 3, 2026 19:40
A 'comeback'? Like, is he actually doing something?
76AnonymousNov 3, 2026 19:58
Re: #5
Apparently he hasn't officially retired yet — guess he's aiming for an NPB comeback.
81AnonymousNov 3, 2026 20:03
Re: #76
lol

Don't go treating Kiyohara like some burnt-out meth head.
6AnonymousNov 3, 2026 19:40
Why'd he quit YouTube, anyway?
9AnonymousNov 3, 2026 19:40
At least he hasn't reoffended — so far.
34AnonymousNov 3, 2026 19:49
Re: #9
Not getting caught again isn't the same as not reoffending. Once you've got a drug conviction on record, the suspicion follows you for life.
12AnonymousNov 3, 2026 19:41
He's probably going to have to grind hard on losing weight — his autonomic nervous system's already shot, so he piles on pounds fast, and that old knee injury finally gave out because of it.
14AnonymousNov 3, 2026 19:42
Come back and do what, exactly?
17AnonymousNov 3, 2026 19:43
Re: #14
What he wants to do is spelled out clearly in the article.
19AnonymousNov 3, 2026 19:44
Wait, what — for a second there I thought he'd relapsed and gotten arrested again lol
20AnonymousNov 3, 2026 19:44
Even back in his playing days he'd overdo the weight training, get hurt, and end up sidelined, so I always wondered if he was really serious.
23AnonymousNov 3, 2026 19:45
'There's no such thing as retirement for a rehab guy' ← now that's badass
24AnonymousNov 3, 2026 19:45
If he'd just stayed off the drugs, he could've landed a Giants coaching job by now.
29AnonymousNov 3, 2026 19:46
Come on, make him the Giants' batting coach already — let him teach guys how to hit.
30AnonymousNov 3, 2026 19:47
Did he cut ties with Mackoy?
49AnonymousNov 3, 2026 19:53
Re: #30
He hasn't posted a video in three years now, so he's probably severed that for good.
32AnonymousNov 3, 2026 19:47
I heard joint replacement surgery isn't some miracle fix — wonder how this is actually going to go for him.
45AnonymousNov 3, 2026 19:52
Re: #32
Former pro wrestler Keiji Mutoh had both hips and both knees replaced with artificial joints, and these days he mostly gets around in a wheelchair.
39AnonymousNov 3, 2026 19:50
Kiyohara's probably starting to understand now what Toyo Ebisawa was seeing out there in that legendary 9th inning (the pitcher famous for his nerve-wracking bases-loaded, no-out standoff in the 1979 Japan Series).
40AnonymousNov 3, 2026 19:50
Motoki's basically turned into Kazuo Umezu at this point (the horror-manga artist famous for his long white hair) — guess all that reckless stuff from your younger days comes back to bite you once you're older.
41AnonymousNov 3, 2026 19:51
My grandma got a knee replacement too, and she's walking around briskly these days — so what's with calling this a 'comeback'?
46AnonymousNov 3, 2026 19:52
At least the pain goes away, that's a plus — though I hear the implant only lasts about 20 years or so.
47AnonymousNov 3, 2026 19:52
Guess he did one too many moonsault presses

Background and Key Talking Points

Kazuhiro Kiyohara has a history that includes a 2016 arrest and conviction for violating Japan’s Stimulants Control Act, and he has gradually eased back into public life since then, including through activity on YouTube. His left knee is the same spot where he underwent major surgery during his playing days, so this latest total knee replacement can be seen as an extension of dealing with that old injury. Opinions in the thread split over how to read the word “comeback” — some pictured a return to NPB (Nippon Professional Baseball), while others read it more soberly as simply regaining everyday mobility. On the subject of artificial knees, commenters who’d actually had the surgery chimed in with notes like “it’s not some miracle fix” and “they only last about 20 years,” tempering expectations. It’s also worth noting that the drug case is a closed matter from the past, and the article itself gives no indication of any confirmed reoffense since then — a distinction worth keeping in mind.

*This article is compiled from excerpts and a summary of the 5ch (Geisupo Sokuho+) thread “[Baseball] Kazuhiro Kiyohara Reveals He Underwent Left Knee Surgery — Began “Total Knee Replacement” Rehab in September, “I Will Definitely Make a Comeback”.”

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