Hector Luna complained of right shoulder pain during pre-game workouts on Thursday.  He skipped batting practice and took grounders at third, but did not throw the ball.  Luna skipped the game and was taken to a hospital in Nagoya for an examination.  The media learned today that he was diagnosed with some inflammation in his right shoulder and will be shut down for two days.

Source: Nikkan Sports 3/8/2013, Nikkan Sports 3/8/2013

Morimichi Takagi was planning to give Hector Luna a look at third base during today's practice game against SK (KBO), but the game was rained out.

Source: Sports Hochi 2/27/2013

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Masahiro Yamamoto faced six batters during situational batting practice on Tuesday.  He threw thirty-one pitches and allowed two could-be hits.  He broke Kazuhiro Wada's bat with a shuto.

Source: Nikkan Sports 2/27/2013

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Takuya Asao will have his right shoulder re-evaluated on March 4.  Until then, he will continue to play catch as the team keeps a close eye on his progress.  If the inflammation is gone, he will move on to the next step (long distance throwing).

Source: Nikkan Sports 2/27/2013

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Brad Bergesen had to be taken to the hospital in an ambulance from the team hotel on Tuesday because he could not stand up on his own.  He was later diagnosed with gastroenteritis.

Source: Sanspo 2/27/2013

Matt Clark and Ni-gun pitching coach Michitake Takahashi also came down with gastroenteritis and rested at the team hotel on Tuesday.

There have now been four cases of gastroenteritis during spring camp.  The team is worried and is planning to look into possible related causes.

Source: Nikkan Sports 2/27/2013

Bergesen and Clark were back at practice today.

Source: Nikkan Sports 2/27/2013, Sanspo 2/27/2013

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The following twenty-four position players are still at Ichi-gun:

Catchers (4): Motonobu Tanishige, Akihiro Maeda, Masato Matsui, Daisuke Tanaka

Infielders (13): Hector Luna, Naomichi Donoue, Masahiro Araki, Hirokazu Ibata, Takeshi Yamasaki, Masahiko Morino, Shuhei Takahashi, Tetsuya Tani, Kyohei Iwasaki, Tatsuro Iwasaki, Ryoji Nakata, Nobumasa Fukuda, Matt Clark

Outfielders (7): Atsushi Fujii, Kazuhiro Wada, Yohei Oshima, Kei Nomoto, Ryosuke Hirata, Victor Diaz, Yusuke Matsui

Source: Nikkan Sports 2/27/2013

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The Dragons made changes to their practice schedule today because of the rain.

Workouts started indoors with warm-ups.  After the rain stopped, pitchers played catch on the secondary field and outfielders took fielding practice on the main field.

Source: Nikkan Sports 2/19/2013

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Masahiro Yamamoto, Kazuki Yoshimi, and Hitoki Iwase are scheduled to pitch situational batting practice on Wednesday.

Source: Nikkan Sports 2/19/2013

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3rd round draft pick Takeru Furumoto worked out at Ichi-gun camp today.

Source: Sponichi 2/19/2013

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OF/base-running coach Yoshinori Ueda had a difficult time hitting fly balls to Ryosuke Hirata, Atsushi Fujii, and Furumoto during fielding practice today -- he kept hitting grounders or weak fly balls.

Source: Sports Hochi 2/19/2013

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Masahiko Morino may have to move to right if both Hector Luna and Matt Clark win everyday jobs -- Luna at third and Clark at first.

Morino has played 165 games in left, 80 in center, and 20 in right.  He last played right on July 25, 2008.

Source: Nikkan Sports 2/19/2013

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Luna and Clark are scheduled to play in a practice game against KIA (KBO) on the 22nd.

Source: Nikkan Sports 2/19/2013

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Yohei Oshima took outdoor batting practice today and is close to swinging the bat at a hundred percent.  He is also not throwing at full force right now because he wants to take things slow until the start of WBC mini-camp.

Source: Sports Hochi 2/11/2013

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Chief trainer Tetsuyoshi Fujita thinks the low doorways at the Chatan facilities are doing nothing to help Daniel Cabrera with his neck.  Fatigue and ill-suited bedding could also be a problem.

Source: Sports Hochi 2/11/2013, Sponichi 2/11/2013

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Hector Luna would like to play third, if possible -- it has been his primary position over the last eight years.

Source: Nikkan Sports 2/11/2013

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4th round draft pick Shota Sugiyama arrived in Okinawa on Sunday.  He was away from camp because he had to take a ski course in Nagano for college (between February 6 and 9).

Sugiyama also celebrated his twenty-second birthday on Sunday.

Source: Nikkan Sports 2/11/2013

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The Japan Women's Baseball League announced today that the following four players will participate in Dragons' camp in Chatan on the 14th: Iori Miura, Miki Atsugase, Mika Miyahara, and Aya Takizawa.

Source: Dailiy Sports 2/11/2013

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The players spent about eighty minutes executing signal plays during indoor practices this morning -- the media was "shutout" from the indoor facilities.

Source: Nikkan Sports 2/9/2013, Sports Hochi 2/9/2013

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Hector Luna's goal is to bat .300, hit twenty home runs, and drive in eighty.  He is ok with playing first, second, third, and the outfield and will carry up to four gloves.

Source: Nikkan Sports 2/9/2013

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Yohei Oshima (left elbow) could begin throwing again as early as the 10th.

Source: Sports Hochi 2/9/2013

Oshima ended up visiting three hospitals when he returned to Nagoya on the 7th -- the first two conducted a variety of tests to confirm his condition and the last hospital provided treatment.

Source: Sponichi 2/9/2013

Oshima rejoined the team today.  His workouts included playing catch and batting practice.  He told reporters he was feeling fine and that there was not as much pain.

Takagi is leaving everything up to Oshima.

Source: Sports Hochi 2/9/2013

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Masahiro Araki and Masahiko Morino stayed back after general workouts today for extra batting practice.

Source: Nikkan Sports 2/8/2013

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Hirokazu Ibata played some first, third, and short during situational batting practice on Thursday.

Source: Sponichi 2/8/2013

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Hector Luna arrived at Naha AIrport on Thursday after about twenty-two hours of travel time and stop-overs in New York and Narita.  He did not get to the team hotel until after midnight.  Morimichi Takagi and team rep Ryohei Sato were among those that waited for Luna's arrival.

Source: Nikkan Sports 2/8/2013

For some reason, Takagi thought Luna was going to arrive at the team hotel on Wednesday and waited for him in the lobby for about an hour before checking with hotel staff.

Source: Nikkan Sports 2/8/2013, Sponichi 2/8/2013

Despite the late arrival, Luna got up in time to make the start of practice at 10:00am today.

Source: Nikkan Sports 2/8/2013

The Dragons held a press conference for Luna at their camp facilities in Chatan today.

Source: Sanspo 2/8/2013

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Matt Clark was examined at a hospital in Okinawa today and given a new amphetamine-free prescription.

The Dragons have filed a report with the NPB to make sure they understand the situation.  Clark plans on taking the new medication.

Source: Nikkan Sports 2/8/2013

Team owner Bungo Shirai visited Ichi-gun camp today.

Source: Sports Hochi 2/7/2013

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Yohei Oshima left Okinawa today to get a full evaluation of his left elbow at two hospitals in Nagoya.  He is expected to be back at Okinawa camp on the 8th.

Oshima has not played any catch or taken any batting practice since the day he started complaining of tightness in his left elbow on the 4th.

Source: Nikkan Sports 2/7/2013, Daily Sports 2/7/2013

According to the chief trainer, Oshima is having problems bending and straightening the elbow due to a build-up of fluid.

Source: Sports Hochi 2/7/2013

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Kenichi Nakata, Yudai Ono, Yoshihiro Suzuki, and Ryuya Ogawa worked out on their day off on Wednesday.

Source: Nikkan Sports 2/7/2013

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Hector Luna is scheduled to arrive in Okinawa some time around midnight tonight.  Morimichi Takagi is planning to meet Luna in the hotel lobby.

Takagi went out for dinner with the foreign players on Wednesday.

Source: Nikkan Sports 2/7/2013

The media learned on Monday that the Chunichi Dragons re-signed Victor Diaz to a contract worth US$200,000 (about sixteen million yen) in 2013.  Morimichi Takagi has high hopes for Diaz next season.  Source: Nikkan Sports 12/18/2012

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Hector Luna is currently playing for the Aguilas Cibaenas in the Dominican Winter League.  Luna could miss the start of Spring camp on February 1 because of the Caribbean Series.  The Dragons are not too concerned since it means he will most likely arrive at camp ready to play.  Source: Nikkan Sports 12/18/2012

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Shinji Tajima is happy being a reliever and may not mind pitching in relief for the rest of his career.

"I like pitching in the late innings.  As a starter, you can not pitch every day, but as a reliever, you can.  It is a lot more interesting to throw a lot and I think that suits me better.  I think it would be interesting to pitch in relief for the rest of my career," said Tajima.

Source: Sports Hochi 12/18/2012, Nikkan Sports 12/18/2012

The Chunichi Dragons officially announced today that they signed Hector Luna (32) to a one-year deal.  His contract is worth an estimated US$350,000 (~28.7 million yen) plus performance bonuses and also includes a US$100,000 (~8.2 million yen) signing bonus.  He has not yet been assigned a uniform number.

The Dragons posted the following prepared statement by Luna:

I got the chance to play in Japan.  I will do my best so that I can spend the rest of my baseball playing days in Japan.

Source: official announcement, Nikkan Sports 12/4/2012, Sanspo 12/4/2012

See also:

Chunichi Dragons sign Hector Luna to a one-year deal

ESPNDeportes.com's Enrique Rojas has tweeted that the Chunichi Dragons signed Hetor Luna (32) to a one-year deal worth $450,000 (~37 million yen) plus $200,000 (~16.4 million yen) in incentives.  Source: Tweet 11/22/2012

According to reports out of Japan, the Dragons apparently see Luna as a possible replacement for Tony Blanco.

Source: Nikkan Sports 11/23/2012, Sponichi 11/23/201, Sports Hochi Osaka 11/23/2012

UPDATE @ 4:28pm - Team rep Ryohei Sato told reporters about the deal today.  Source: Sponichi 11/23/2012

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