...Kenta Maeda tossed a bullpen session on Wednesday in preparation for his opening day start against the Chunichi Dragons.

...Kenjiro Nomura told reporters that he plans to use Tomonori Maeda as a pinch-hitter during the regular season and a DH during Inter-league play on Wednesday.

...Kan Otake threw 140 pitches to a squatting catcher on flat ground on Wednesday.  His shoulder was feeling so good, it seems Otake even considering heading to the bullpen.  Otake will take a rest from throwing on Thursday.

...Because of the shortage of starting pitching arms right now, the Carp will begin the season with four relievers (Ryuji Yokoyama, Mike Schultz, Tomohiro Umetsu, and Ken Takahashi) and closer Katsuhiro Nagakawa.

...The Hiroshima Carp are planning a number of promotions with JAL this year, including JAL Nighter (JALナイター) on 6/18 (vs Yakult Swallows).

...Ken Takahashi, Mike Schultz, and Tomohiro Umetsu all pitched in simulated game during evening practice on Tuesday.  These three, along with Ryuji Yokoyama and Katsuhiro Nagakawa (as closer), will likely make up the bullpen.  Because the starting staff will begin the season shorthanded (Kan Ohtake and Keisuke Imai are both out), Takahashi, Schultz, Umetsu and Yokoyama might be called on to pitch quite a bit.

...Evening practice on Tuesday lasted about two hours in the rain.

...The first six batters in the starting line-up could look something like this: Akihiro Higashide, Eishin Soyogi, Soichiro Amaya, Kenta Kurihara, Jeff Fiorentino, and Justin Huber.

...It seems the earlier Ohtake might not make it back to Ichi-gun until late-April.  On Tuesday, he played some catch (about 150 throws).

...The Carp rotation will apparently be: Kenta Maeda, Giancarlo Alvarado, Jumpei Shinoda, Takeshi Komatsu, Takahiro Aoki, and Yuki Saito.

...Eishin Soyogi finished at the top of the stolen base charts during exhibition play with 8.  He also ended exhibition play with a 4-game hitting streak.  Soyogi will like bat second on opening day.

Soyogi has also set a goal of 1 hit, 1 walk, and 1 stolen base for every game he plays.

...Justin Huber worked on his hitting and fielding (at first) during practice on Monday (??).  During BP, he had the advance scout record his swings.  He also took extra fielding drills at first base after general practice.

...Head coach Yutaka Ono tossed about 100 pitches during BP on Monday.

...The Carp introduced a new line of uniforms, called World Uniforms (a total four new designs), that will go on sale at the official team stores beginning on 3/30.  There are also two new t-shirt designs as well.

...The Carp visited Hiroshima Gokoku Shrine on Monday to pray for a successful season.

...Kanako Yanagihara threw out ceremonial first pitch on Sunday -- the ball reached the catcher in two hops.

...Kenta Kurihara appears to be coming around slowly.  His last two games:

3/20 vs Hanshin Tigers: 2-for-4, 2B, R, RBI

3/21 vs Hanshin Tigers: 4-for-5, 2B, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI, SO

...Two Soichiro Amaya life-like figures went on display on Sunday out near the wood deck in left.  You can see shots of the two figures at the official Hiroshima Carp website.

...Sponichi mentions that Kenta Maeda will be the opening day pitcher.  Chugoku Shimbun still mentions Maeda as a candidate.

...Akihiro Higashide is working his way back from tightness in his left hamstring.  If everything goes according to plan, he should be back in the line-up on Sunday against the Hanshin Tigers.

Higashide felt tightness in his left hamstring while playing in an exhibition game against the Yomiuri Giants on the 17th and has been held out of the line-up on Thursday and Saturday.

...Junpei Shinoda worked out in the bullpen on Friday under the watchful eyes of coaches.  The coaches are trying to get the pitchers to think more on the mound, and as such, they shouted out questions and situations to Shinoda as he threw his bullpen.

...Fans that purchase tickets to specially marked seating areas for the opening series at Mazda Stadium will get some Carp Boy Bread (カープ選手坊やパン).  There are a total 13 different designs (13 players, 13 designs), but only 5 will be available at each game (fans will not be able to pick which design they get).

Interested parties can get more information at the official Carp site (there are also images of the bread as well).

...Takahiro Aoki's exhibition game outings:

3/18 vs Yakult Swallows: 6 IP, 22 BF, 80 NP, 2 H, 3 SO, 0 BB, 2 HPB, 0 R, 0 ER

3/12 vs Hanshin Tigers: 4 IP, 16 BF, 62 NP, 2 H, 3 SO, 1 BB, 1 HBP, 0 R, 0 ER

3/6 vs Chiba Lotte Marines: 2 IP, 9 BF, 30 NP, 2 H, 0 SO, 1 BB, 1 R, 1 ER

3/4 vs Seibu Lions: 1 IP, 3 BF, 12 NP, 0 H, 2 SO, 0 BB, 0 R, 0 ER

2/26 vs Softbank Hawks: 1 IP, 3 BF, 10 NP, 0 H, 1 SO, 0 BB, 0 R, 0 ER

...Akihiro Higashide was held out of the line-up against the Yakult Swallows on Thursday due to tightness in his left hamstring.  He apparently felt something on Wednesday after his at bat in the 4th in a game against the Yomiuri Giants.  Chief trainer Masaya Ishii told reporters that he would have been in the starting line-up had it been during the regular season.

...It seems Ken Takahashi also told reporters on Wednesday that he could pitch about 5 innings as a starter.

=== 3/18/2010 3:43am JST

...Even though the Carp only managed to score one run against the Yomiuri Giants on Wednesday, it seems Kenjiro Nomura wasn't entirely disappointed.  Why?  Because of the way they scored it.

With runners on first and third with one out in the 4th, Soichiro Amaya took off for second.  Shinnosuke Abe quickly fired off a throw to second, but as he did, Eishin Soyogi broke for home and made it in safely.

=== 9:48pm JST

...Ken Takahashi tossed a scoreless inning in relief against the Yomiuri Giants on Wednesday.  After the game he told reporters he'd like to try and stretch himself out a bit more.  The Carp starting rotation isn't in very good shape right now and it seems Takahashi is interested in making a run for one of the open spots.

...The "theme" music Shinya Kiyozuka was writing for Kenta Kurihara was recently completed.  Kurihara will now select a portion of it for his new batter walk-up this season.

...The Carp will likely use three games beginning on Tuesday to decide who will be following Kenta Maeda, Giancarlo Alvarado, and Yuki Saito in the start rotation.  The final three spots in the rotation are up for grabs with the following pitchers competing for a spot: Jumpei Shinoda, Takeshi Komatsu, Takahiro Aoki, Takayuki Ohshima, and Masayuki Hasegawa.  On the list, only Ohshima pitched on Tuesday.  His final line: 1 IP, 4 BF, 17 NP, 1 H, 2 SO, 0 BB, 0 R, 0 ER.

...Saito started the game on Tuesday (5 IP, 25 BF, 113 NP, 5 H, 2 SO, 6 BB, 2 R, 2 ER)  against the Chiba Lotte Marines and will likely make his first start of the regular season on the 30th against the Hanshin Tigers.  He'll also probably pitch at Ni-gun on the 23rd against Chunichi to stay sharp.

The two runs Saito gave up on Tuesday came after he got the first two outs of the inning: he walked two batters in a row and then gave up a 2-run double to Saburo.

...Prior to Tuesday's game, Soichiro Amaya was 16-for-35 during exhibition play.  On Tuesday against the Chiba Lotte Marines, Amaya went 2-for-3 with an HBP, 2 doubles, and 2 RBIs.

...Mike Schultz rejoined the Ichi-gun team on Sunday (?).  Schultz had been working out at San-gun, getting his shoulder ready for the regular season.  On Sunday, he threw 50 pitches in a bullpen session and told reporters that he was a little weak at Spring camp but managed to build his body up with a lot of training since then.

...The Carp held practice at Mazda Stadium on Monday.  Because of the rain, batting practice was held indoors.

...With Kan Ohtake (shoulder tightness) and Keisuke Imai (elbow tightness) both nursing injuries, it seems Kenjiro Nomura is still trying to figure out who will follow Kenta Maeda, Yuki Saito, Junpei Shinoda, and Giancarlo Alvarado.

The line-up appears to be fairing better, with Soichiro Amaya, Kenta Kurihara, and Jeff Fiorentino likely securing the 3, 4, and 5 spots.

...Speaking of Ohtake, it seems like he won't be ready for opening day.  On the 14th, Ohtake threw 40 pitches to a squatting catcher but didn't appear ready to pitch in a game yet.  It seems the Carp also won't be pushing Ohtake too hard either.