Via Nikkan Sports, the New York Daily News' Anthony Mccarron reports that Joe Girardi would like another left-handed bat and Hideki Matsui could be a candidate.  A snip:

Girardi acknowledged that the Yankees have considered several hitters, including free agents Johnny Damon, Raul Ibanez and Hideki Matsui as potential solutions. GM Brian Cashman has said several times this winter that the Yanks could use a surplus of starting pitchers – A.J. Burnett, Phil Hughes and Freddy Garcia will all vie for the No. 5 slot – as a trade chip for a hitter, too.

"Johnny's been a great player for a long time," Girardi said when a reporter brought up Damon, a Yankee from 2006-09. "There have been a bunch of names that have been talked about and they're all good players. Ibanez's name has been brought up and he's had a great career, Matsui's name has been brought up and he's had a great career.

"Obviously, we know what Johnny and Matty have meant to this organization over the years and how they've been successful in New York. I'm curious to see how it's all going to shake out."

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Junichi Tazawa worked out with Takashi Saito in Kawasaki on Friday.

And Bobby Valentine has been quoted as saying, "[Tazawa] could help bullpen from opening day."

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Former Yomiuri Giant and Nippon Ham Fighters, Wirfin Obispo (27), has signed a minor league deal with the Cincinnati Reds.

The Seattle Mariners announced on Wednesday that they signed Munenori Kawasaki to a minor league with an invite to Spring Training.

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Hisashi Iwakuma worked out at a Rakuten Eagles Ni-gun facility in Sendai today and tossed about 50 pitches to a standing catcher in the bullpen.  Trainer Daisuke Sekiba caught the session.  Sekiba is also apparently scheduled to work with Iwakuma in the States this year.

Iwakuma is currently scheduled to attend Mariners FanFest on 1/28, 1/29.  He has also prepared three different kinds of cleats to try in the US.

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Hideki Matsui practice for the fifth straight day on Wednesday.  He also swung the bat for the first time this year.

Matsui's workouts last about an hour and a half and included about 40 minutes of running, playing catch, and taking 10 about pitches while batting right-handed and 69 pitches while batting left-handed during soft toss BP.  Sponichi mentions 28 pitches from the right and 69 swings from the left.  Sports Hochi 12 pitches from the right and 69 from the left.

Matsui did not start swinging the bat until 2/5 last year and 2/21 the year before that.

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Junichi Tazawa has been working out in Kawasaki since 1/4.

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Nolan Ryan apparently sent Yu Darvish a pair of boots.

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Via Nikkan Sports, MLB.com posted the start of the various MLB Spring Training workout dates.

CBS Sports' Jon Heyman posted an update on Hiroki Kuroda.  A snip:

Kuroda is much lighter on buzz, but some teams actually prefer Kuroda, as he is the proven one in the majors. The Yankees, who are said to have placed a "modest" bid on Darvish and have no expectation of winning the posting process, seem to almost prefer Kuroda, anyway.

The Rockies and Diamondbacks are also believed interested in Kuroda. ...a person close to Kuroda said he is open to playing in New York and a few other places. He hasn't ruled out returning to Japan, either.

Nikkan Sports mentions that Kuroda may have received offers from over five different teams, all around the US$12M range.

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The Boston Globes' Peter Abraham has an update on Junichi Tazawa.  A snip:

With Kyle Weiland gone, what now for Felix Doubront and Junichi Tazawa? "Right now, we plan to bring all those guys into camp as starters. If something changes, if we feel like there's better opportunity for them in a different role, we could certainly adjust. As a general rule, and Bobby and I have had a chance to talk about this, it's generally wise to keep guys stretched out and capable of starting. It's a lot easier to go the other way and shorten guys up than it is to stretch guys out."

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Nikkan Sports reports that the Baltimore Orioles are not saying much with regards to whether or not they will try to sign Hideki Matsui -- they are only saying that he is on their list of candidates.  They also did not say much about Wei-Ying Chen.

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Sponichi mentions the news of the committee that was formed to talk about an international draft and wonders if Japanese players will be involved.

Via Nikkan Spots: Ryota Igarashi tossed a shutout inning in relief against Leones del Escogido on 11/15 and earned a save (1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 HR, 0 BB, 2 SO).  Igarashi has now appeared in 7 games for the Gigantes del Cibao and is 0-0 with 2 saves (1.17 ERA, 7.2 IP, 8 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 0 HR, 3 BB, 9 SO).

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Sponichi reports that Ben Cherington is happy with how Daisuke Matsuzaka is doing with his rehab training and is looking forward to him contributing next year.  He's also hopeful that Junichi Tazawa makes the roster next year since he has experience as both a starter and reliever.

And Yakyubaka reader Carter points out the following two tweets on Matsuzaka's comeback by Peter Abraham (1, 2):

Dice-K has said he'll throw off the mound in the bullpen shortly after New Year's. Way ahead of schedule.

Also heard this, Matsuzaka has been at Fort Myers since the end of the season, not going back to Japan until later this month.

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Sports Illustrated's Tom Verducci has posted an article about Japanese pitchers in the Majors.  A snip:

Said Rangers assistant GM Thad Levine, "The anecdotal assessment suggests starting pitchers have a two-year window of success followed by a rapid decline, followed thereafter by disappearance. Even a lot of the relievers have had success quickly, reaching a hot peak followed by a rapid decline."

It has been 16 years since Hideo Nomo debuted in the major leagues, touching off the first generation of players who wanted to leave Nippon Pro Baseball for the majors. Forty-three players have followed Nomo's route. Only three have been named to more than one All-Star team (Ichiro Suzuki, Hideki Matsui and Kaz Sasaski) and only 11 are active big leaguers, including Minnesota Twins infielder Tsuyoshi Nishioka, a .226 hitter with no home runs who became the latest of several players to struggle with the transition.

A day after playing catch for the first time since his surgery, Daisuke Matsuzaka told reporters that his elbow felt fine.

"I thought I might feel a little tightness in my shoulder and elbow, but instead if felt normal (or "I felt used to it").  I didn't feel worried about it after waking up," said Matsuzaka.

For workouts on the 4th, Matsuzaka spent most of his time working on his lower body.

Nikkan Sports has a bit more on his game of catch on the 3rd: he played catch at a distance of about 9 meters at first (threw the baseball 20 times) before moving out to 15 meters (threw the baseball 19 times).  Nikkan Sports also mentions that his rehab before the 3rd was split into morning and afternoon sessions and that the sessions focused on improving his body strength.

Matsuzaka will continue with his training in Florida through to the middle of November.  He'll also restart his workouts early next year in order to get a head start on his rehab.

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Via Nikkan Sports, Koji Uehara on the Texas Rangers advancing:

Honestly, the celebration wasn't that much fun for me this time around.  Everyone else looked like they were having fun, but I just felt frustrated.  But I think the difficulty in my situation is to be expected.  And I know that there are only a limited number of chances.  I'll do my best when/if I get my next change.

Texas Rangers' manager Ron Washington did tell reporters that as long as Uehara wore a Rangers' uniform, he'd have a chance to pitch again.

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According to Nikkan Sports, the Boston Red Sox working towards giving Junichi Tazawa a 1-year extension.  Nez Balelo told Nikkan Sports that the Red Sox own Tazawa's rights as an arbitration eligible player through 2014.

Games from the 24th:

Texas Rangers 7 - Seattle Mariners 3
Ichiro Suzuki started in right and batted first.  He went 0-for-4: ground out to second, GIDP, ground out to short, ground out to first.

Yoshinori Tateyama entered the game in the top of the 7th, with the Rangers up 7-3, and retired the side in order.  Final line: 1 IP, 3 BF, 12-8 NP-S, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 SO, 0 HR.

LA Angels 4 - Oakland A's 2
Hideki Matsui started in left and batted third.  He went 0-for-3: walk, ground out to first, ground out to second (force), ground out to third.  Matsui also committed a fielding error (1) in the bottom of the 1st, which ultimately led to the Angels scoring the first run of the game.  For Matsui, it was his first error this season (26th game).

Hisanori Takahashi entered the game in the top of the 7th (none on, 1 out, and the Angels up 4-1) and recorded the final 2 outs of the inning while allowing 1 hit.  Final line: 0.2 IP, 3 BF, 12-9 NP-S, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 SO, 0 HR.

Cleveland Indians 8 - Minnesota Twins 2 (Game 1 Doubleheader)
Kosuke Fukudome entered the game as a defensive replacement in the top of the 2nd (in center, batting 8th).  He went 1-for-4: strikeout swinging, ground out to the pitcher, RBI single to right (run scored), GIDP.

Cleveland Indians 7 - Minnesota Twins 6 (Game 2 Doubleheader)
Fukudome started in right and batted first.  He went 0-for-4: fly out to center, fly out to center, strikeout looking, strikeout swinging, walk.

New York Yankees 9 - Boston Red Sox 1
Junichi Tazawa entered the game in the bottom of the 6th, with the Red Sox down 8-0, and surrendered a homer to the first batter he faced (Jesus Montero) before retiring the next 5 batters in a row and leaving with 2 outs in the 7th.  Final line: 1.2 IP, 6 BF, 24-14 NP-S, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 SO, 1 HR.

Milwaukee Brewers 6 - Florida Marlins 4
Takashi Saito entered the game in the top of the 6th, with the Brewers down 4-3, and retired the side in order.  Final line: 1 IP, 3 BF, 14-7 NP-S, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 SO, 0 HR.

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Tsuyoshi Nishioka was placed on the disabled list on Saturday. Via MLB.com's Rhett Bollinger:

The club also announced Nishioka's season was over that same day, as he was shut down with a strained right oblique and was placed on the DL retroactive to Sept. 15. He finishes his first year in the Majors with a .226 batting average, no homers and 19 RBIs in 68 games.

Games from the 20th:

Seattle Mariners 5 - Minnesota Twins 4
Ichiro Suzuki started in right and batted first.  He went 1-for-5: triple to left (run scored), ground out to second, ground out to first, fly out to center, strikeout swinging.  Ichiro now needs 24 hits in 8 games for 200.

Texas Rangers 7 - Oakland A's 2
Hideki Matsui started in left and batted third.  He went 1-for-4: single to left, fly out to left, ground out to the pitcher, fly out to right.

Cleveland Indians 4 - Chicago White Sox 3 (Game 1 Doubleheader)
Kosuke Fukudome started in right and batted first.  He 1-for-4: ground out to second, pop out to short, homer (7) to right, fly out to left.  Fukudome also picked up an assist in the top of the 2nd -- he caught a fly ball in right and doubled up the runner at first.

Chicago White Sox 5 - Cleveland Indians 4 (Game 2 Doubleheader)
Fukudome entered the game as a defensive replacement in right in the top of the 7th.  He also went 0-for-1: strikeout swinging.

Baltimore Orioles 7 - Boston Red Sox 5
Junichi Tazawa entered the game in the top of the 9th (runners on first and second, 2 out, Boston down 7-5) and retired the one batter he faced to get out of the inning without allowing a run.  Final line: 0.1 IP, 1 BF, 3-3 NP-S, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 SO, 0 HR.

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The latest on Takashi Saito, via the Journal Sentinel's Charles F. Gardner:

Roenicke said reliever Takashi Saito was bothered by a right calf injury discovered Monday and was not available for the series opener against the Cubs.

Saito had pitched a perfect ninth inning in the Brewers' 8-1 victory at Cincinnati on Sunday.

Roenicke said Saito was cleared to be available Tuesday (9/20) night.

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Hideki Matsui, whose favorite movie is "The Natural," attended the premiere for Moneyball on the 19th.  His photo with Brad Pitt made the rounds on the early morning gossip shows today (Matsui approached Pitt).  For those living in Japan and wondering when it's supposed to hit screens here: November 11th.

Games from the 14th:

Seattle Mariners 2 - New York Yankees 1
Ichiro Suzuki started in right and batted first.  He went 0-for-3: ground out to short, GIDP, fly out to left, intentional walk (steals second), intentional walk.  Ichiro now needs 30 hits in 13 games for 200.

LA Angels 4 - Oakland A's 1
Hideki Matsui was the starting DH and batted third.  He went 0-for-4: pop out to third in foul territory, ground out to first, fly out to left, fly out to left.

Texas Rangers 9 - Cleveland Indians 1
Kosuke Fukudome started in right and batted first.  He went 1-for-4: ground out to the pitcher, pop out to the catcher in foul territory, strikeout (foul tip), single to right.

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The latest on Tsuyoshi Nishioka,via the LA Times (Reuters):

SS Tsuyoshi Nishioka (oblique) was out of the lineup for the seventh time in the past eight games, though he was available to pinch run.

Nikkan Sports also mentions that Nishioka hasn't been able to swing the bat over the last 5 days and that while he has managed to take some light fielding practice, he has avoided making any throws.

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Junichi Tazawa's comments after his first MLB outing in 2 years on the 13th, via Nikkan Sports:

Even in the minors, each time I was promoted to single-A, double-A, and triple-A, I felt some stiffness in my shoulder after my first appearance.  I feel a little bit of stiffness this time as well. ... I knew there was a difference in the baseball (between the majors and minors)...  I hope to ready for that next time around.

Games from the 13th:

New York Yankees 3 - Seattle Mariners 2
Ichiro Suzuki started in right and batted first.  He went 1-for-5: strikeout swinging, ground out to first, ground out to first, strikeout looking, single to left (caught trying to steal second).  Ichiro now needs 30 hits in 14 games for 200.

LA Angels 6 - Oakland A's 3
Hideki Matsui started in left and batted third.  He went 1-for-1: single to right, walk, walk, walk.

Hisanori Takahashi got the final 2 outs of the bottom of the 5th inning (entered with runners on second and third and the score tied at 3) and retired the side in order in the 6th.  Final line: 1.2 IP, 6 BF, 24-13 NP-S, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 SO, 0 HR.

Texas Rangers 10 - Cleveland Indians 4
Kosuke Fukudome started in right and batted first.  He went 2-for-4: fly out to left, single to left, single to left (run scored), ground out to second, HBP.

Boston Red Sox 18 - Toronto Blue Jays 6
Junichi Tazawa entered the game in the top of the 9th, with the Red Sox up 18-5, and allowed a run over an inning of work.  Final line: 1 IP, 6 BF, 27-15 NP-S, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 SO, 0 HR.

Milwaukee Brewers 2 - Colorado Rockies 1
Takashi Saito entered the game in the top of the 7th, with the game tied at 1, and tossed a shutout inning in relief.  Final line: 1 IP, 3 BF, 8-8 NP-S, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 SO, 0 HR.

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The latest on Tsuyoshi Nishioka, via MLB.com's Adam Holt:

Tsuyoshi Nishioka is beginning to feel better and could pinch-run soon, but isn't quite ready to return to the lineup.

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The latest on Hiroki Kuroda, via the Press-Enterprise's David Lassen:

Mattingly said Hiroki Kuroda remained scheduled to start Friday, and said Monday was the first time he'd heard a neck problem could have been an issue during the pitcher's start Sunday in San Francisco.

"We're not going to let him keep going out there if it's something that's bothering him," Mattingly said.

Conte characterized the neck as "not a major issue," saying it had been tight two or three starts earlier, and that the pitcher has been receiving physical therapy daily.

Kuroda did throw 36 pitches in the bullpen on the 13th in preparation for his next start on the 16th and said to reporters, "It's getting better.  Each day is different though, so I can't say for sure, but if it's like it is now, then I should be ok to pitch. ... I want to pitch in as many games as possible."

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Via Nikkan Sports: ESPN's Jim Caple has posted an article on Ichiro Suzuki's drop this season, entitled "Ichiro playing like an impersonator."  A snip:

For the past decade, Ichiro slapping a hit has been as reliable a part of the Seattle summer as sunsets over the Olympic mountains. After hitting a career .331 with two batting titles and at least 200 hits, a .300 average and an All-Star appearance every season in his first 10 years in the majors, Ichiro has plummeted to .275 with a .313 on-base percentage and a .652 OPS in 2011. He needs 32 hits in Seattle's remaining 16 games to reach the 200-hit mark with which he is obsessed. That was possible for the old Ichiro -- he had 40 in a 17-game stretch in 2004 -- but Fake Ichiro might have almost as good a chance of reaching it this year.

Meanwhile, after winning a Gold Glove in every previous season and covering as much ground as summer road construction, Ichiro's fielding has been subpar this summer. He has been prone to slow jumps, and his range appears reduced. His ultimate zone rating has gone negative to minus-7, further signs that Area 51 is shrinking in Seattle.

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Junichi Tazawa was called up by the Red Sox on the 13th.  It'll be his first stint with the parent club since 9/2009.

A snip about the call-up from ESPN's Joe McDonald:

Tazawa, a right-hander, began the year on the DL after having Tommy John surgery and was activated on June 27. He combined to go 4-3 with a 3.86 ERA with 46 strikeouts and only 10 walks in 16 appearances (two starts) between Double-A Portland and Pawtucket.

"You're certainly not going to see him pitch every day, but since we have enough bodies we have the ability to pick and chose where we pitch him," Francona said. "He can impact us, too."

And a snip from WEEI's Matt Goisman:

But Tazawa followed a different – albeit similarly common – pattern. When he started pitching in games this year, first in extended spring training in Florida, and then on his first rehab assignment in High-A Salem in May, his fastball velocity was regularly in the mid-80s, well short of the low-90s velocity (topping out at 94 mph) that he showed before surgery.

That diminished velocity, in turn, led Tazawa to struggle. He allowed 12 runs in his first two rehab outings with Salem. However, after those initially poor outings, he turned the corner. He allowed one run in his next 11 2/3 innings, and his velocity started to creep back into the 90s.

...

"He's getting swings and misses. The slider's coming back. The split's coming back. The life, finish and command are coming back. That's the big separator," said Red Sox farm director Mike Hazen. "He's impressive. That's what he was doing before he got hurt."

Games from the 9th:

Seattle Mariners 7 - Kansas City Royals 3
Ichiro Suzuki started in right and batted first.  He went 4-for-5: single to left, solo homer (5) to right, RBI single to center (steals second), ground out to second, infield single (steals second).  Ichiro now needs 33 hits in 18 games for 200.

Texas Rangers 13 - Oakland A's 4
Hideki Matsui started in left and batted third.  He went 2-for-3: walk (run scored), single to center, ground out to short, 2-run homer (12) to right.

Cleveland Indians 8 - Chicago White Sox 4
Kosuke Fukudome started in right and batted first.  He went 2-for-5: fly out to center, single to right, fly out to right, 2-run single to right, strikeout swinging.

Detroit Tigers 8 - Minnesota Twins 4
Tsuyoshi Nishioka started at short and batted ninth.  He went 1-for-3: walk, ground out to first, bunt single, ground out to second.

Philadelphia Phillies 5 - Milwaukee Brewers 3
Takashi Saito entered the game in the top of the 7th, with runners on first and second, 1 out, and the Brewers down 4-0, and allowed one inherited runner to score on 2 hits before getting out of the inning on a strikeout.  Final line: 0.1 IP, 3 BF, 13-8 NP-S, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 SO, 0 HR.

=

Lehigh Valley IronPigs 3 - Pawtucket Red Sox 2
Hideki Okajima was called on to get the final out of the bottom in the 5th (runners on first and second with Pawtucket down 2-1) and went on to retire the side in order in the 6th.  Final line: 1.1 IP, 4 BF, 17-12 NP-S, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 SO, 0 HR.

Junichi Tazawa followed Okajima and entered the game in the bottom of the 6th (Pawtucket still down 2-0).  Tazawa retired the side in order in the 6th and struck out the first two batters he faced in the 7th before getting replaced by Randy Williams.  Final line: 1.2 IP, 5 BF, 20-13 NP-S, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 SO, 0 HR.