Yomiuri Giants

Tatsunori Hara worked with Shuichi Murata and Hisayoshi Chono on their hitting behind closed doors for about an hour on Tuesday.

Source: Sponichi 5/22/2013

===

The players, coaches, and staff held a mini rally party at a yakiniku restaurant near Sendai on Tuesday night.  The team is trying to break out of a two-game slide.

Source: Sanspo 5/22/2013

Yakult Swallows

Chris Leroux topped out at 151km/h during his first Ni-gun outing on the 21st.  He is expected to pitch about five innings during his next start on the 26th against Ni-gun Seibu.  If things go well, he could be added to the active roster in time for a start against Seibu at Seibu Dome on the 31st.

Source: Sanspo 5/22/2013

Hanshin Tigers

Takahiro Arai is two away from 1,000 career RBI.

===

1st round draft pick Shintaro Fujinami's complete line from Tuesday's Ikusei start against a mixed Shikoku Island League team: 3.0 IP, 59 NP, 14 BF, 5 H, 0 HR, 5 SO, 0 BB, 1 HBP, 3 R, 3 ER.  He also topped out at 151km/h.

Fujinami will most likely return to the active roster in time for a start against Nippon Ham at Koshien on the 26th.  He is scheduled to toss bullpen sessions on the 23rd and 25th.

Source: Sponichi 5/22/2013, Daily Sports 5/22/2013, Sports Hochi 5/22/2013

===

2nd round draft pick Fumiya Hojo played in an Ikusei game against a mixed Kansai Independent League team today.  He started at short and batted third.  He recorded the first home run of his pro career in the 7th.

Source: Nikkan Sports 5/22/2013

===

Kosuke Fukudome's left knee is taking longer to heal than expected.  He started rehabbing the knee at Koshien on the 10th.  He began outdoor workouts (walking, playing catch) on the 19th but has yet to do any running.  There is a chance he may not be able to return to the active roster until late-June, at the earliest.

Source: Sponichi 5/22/2013

Yokohama Bay Stars

Tony Blanco has moved closer to home plate to improve his coverage on outside pitches.

"I wanted to make it easier to hit the outside pitches, so I moved closer to the plate.  It was an adjustment I made.  Now [that I am closer to the plate], I only get strikes on the inside," explained Blanco to reporters.

Source: Sponichi 5/22/2013

===

For the time being, the Bay Stars will likely go with Kentaro Takasaki in the 7th and 8th innings and Jorge Sosa in the 9th.

Source: Sponichi 5/22/2013, Daily Sports 5/22/2013

Nippon Ham Fighters

1st round draft pick Shohei Otani could make his debut as a pitcher/hitter either against Yomiuri at Tokyo Dome (June 5, 6) or Yakult at Jingu (June 8, 9).  If/when he does, he will most likely bat seventh in the line-up.

Source: Sports Hochi 5/22/2013

Otani threw twenty-four pitches in the bullpen today at Sapporo Dome.

Source: Sports Hochi 5/22/2013

Seibu Lions

According to Sponichi, the San Diego Padres may have an interest in Kazuhisa Makita.  Makita has said in the past that if given the opportunity, would like a shot to pitch in the Majors at some point in the future.

Source: Sponichi 5/22/2013

Softbank Hawks

Shota Takeda was taken off the active roster today to get extra work at Ni-gun.  Vicente Padilla will most likely get his start on the 26th against Yakult at Jingu.

Source: Nikkan Sports 5/22/2013, Nikkan Sports 5/22/2013

Rakuten Eagles

In ten starts against pitchers born in 1988 (his birth year), Masahiro Tanaka is 9-0.

Source: Sanspo 5/22/2013

Orix Buffaloes

If 1st round draft pick Takahiro Matsuba continues to pitch well, the Buffaloes may release some merchandise with his name on it.

Source: Sanspo 5/22/2013

From May 21:

Hitters

Pitchers

===

The San Diego Padres will reportedly send scouts to tonight's Hiroshima-Seibu game at Seibu Dome.  They may be checking on Seibu pitcher Kazuhisa Makita.

Source: Sponichi 5/22/2013

Hanshin Tigers vs Chiba Lotte Marines @ QVC Marine Field - 18:15
Starters: Enokida, Daiki (HAN) 2-4, 2.18 - Abe, Kazunari (LOT) 1-0, 0.00

Attendance: 24685 | Time: 5h12m | Series tied, 0-0-1

(continue reading...)

Yokohama Bay Stars vs Softbank Hawks @ YafuOku Dome - 18:00
Starters: Cheng, Kai-Wen (YOK) 0-1, 18.00 - Terahara, Hayato (SOF) 1-3, 3.91

Attendance: 29712 | Time: 3h1m | Softbank leads series, 1-0-0

(continue reading...)

Chunichi Dragons vs Orix Buffaloes @ Hotto Motto Field Kobe - 18:00
Starters: Iwata, Shinji (CHU) 1-1, 6.00 - Matsuba, Takahiro (ORI) 2-0, 2.20

Attendance: 17272 | Time: 3h7m | Orix leads series, 1-0-0

(continue reading...)

Hiroshima Carp vs Seibu Lions @ Seibu Dome - 18:00
Starters: Otake, Kan (HIR) 4-1, 1.71 - Makita, Kazuhisa (SEI) 4-2, 1.95

Attendance: 17202 | Time: 3h19m | Hiroshima leads series, 1-0-0

(continue reading...)

Yomiuri Giants vs Rakuten Eagles @ Kleenex Stadium - 18:00
Starters: Sawamura, Hirokazu (YOM) 2-2, 3.57 - Tanaka, Masahiro (RAK) 6-0, 2.08

Attendance: 21354 | Time: 2h54m | Rakuten leads series, 1-0-0

(continue reading...)

Yakult Swallows vs Nippon Ham Fighters @ Sapporo Dome - 18:00
Starters: Tokuyama, Takeaki (YAK) 0-1, 9.00 - Yoshikawa, Mitsuo (HAM) 3-4, 3.83

Attendance: 25874 | Time: 3h14m | Nippon Ham leads series, 1-0-0

(continue reading...)

Yomiuri Giants

The Giants suffered their 100th Inter-league loss on Monday.

Source: Sanspo 5/21/2013

Chunichi Dragons

On Monday, at forty-years and eleven months, Kazuhiro Wada became the oldest player in franchise history to hit a grand slam.  The previous franchise record of thirty-eight years and five months was set by Hiromitsu Ochiai in 1992.

Source: Sponichi 5/20/2013, Sponichi 5/20/2013

===

Hector Luna extended his hitting streak to twenty-one games on Monday.  The franchise record of twenty-five games was set by Michio Nishizawa in 1949.

Source: Nikkan Sports 5/20/2013

===

Jesus Colome joined the Ichi-gun team for practices at Hotto Motto Kobe on Tuesday.  He tossed a bullpen session in front of the coaches (Kohei Oda was the catcher).

"[Colome] was ok today.  He also throws pitches that are different from Japanese pitchers.  It will be more than fine if he can pitch one inning," said Morimichi Takagi.

The Dragons will make a final decision on Colome after they receive the results from his drug test later this month.

Source: Sanspo 5/21/2013, Sponichi 5/21/2013

Yakult Swallows

Chris Leroux pitched in a Ni-gun game against Nippon Ham on Tuesday and gave up a run on five hits over three innings of work.  This was his first outing at Ni-gun since signing with the Swallows.  He is expected to pitch in as least one more Ni-gun game.

Source: Sanspo 5/21/2013

Hiroshima Carp

Fred Lewis was issued a stern warning and a 100,000 yen fine by the commissioner's office on Tuesday.  Lewis was ejected from a game on Monday after vehemently arguing a strike call during his at bat in the 4th inning.

Source: Sports Hochi 5/21/2013

Hanshin Tigers

1st round draft pick Shintaro Fujinami started an Ikusei game against a mixed Shikoku Island League plus team on Tuesday at Naruohama.  He gave up three runs on five hits over three innings of work.  He struck out five and topped out at 151km/h.  This was his first outing since he started an Ichi-gun game on the 5th against Yakult at Koshien.  Assuming no problems, Fujinami will likely make his next start at Ichi-gun on the 26th against Nippon Ham at Koshien.

Source: Daily Sports 5/21/2013, Sanspo 5/21/2013

===

5th round draft pick Kazuyuki Kaneda relieved Fujinami on Tuesday and tossed two shutout inning while allowing two hits.

Source: Nikkan Sports 5/21/2013

===

GM Katsuhiro Nakamura admitted the team was interested in Blaine Boyer and that they were close to finalizing a deal with him.  An announcement could be made soon.

Source: Daily Sports 5/21/2013, Sanspo 5/21/2013

===

Tsuyoshi Nishioka may have tweaked his left calf while playing defense on Monday (either in the 4th or 6th inning).

Source: Sanspo 5/21/2013, Nikkan Sports 5/21/2013

Nishioka ended workouts early on Tuesday as a precaution.

Source: Nikkan Sports 5/21/2013

Yokohama Bay Stars

The Bay Stars will likely start Kai-Wen Cheng and 3rd round draft pick Shoichi Ino against the Softbank Hawks at YafuOku Dome (May 22-23).