Kan Otake earned his domestic FA option today with eight years of service time on the active roster.

"I am not really thinking much about the FA option.  My goal right now is to win a championship this year," said Otake.

Hiroshima Carp executive Kiyoaki Suzuki said to reporters, "We will pull all our efforts together [to keep him here] once the season ends."

Source: Sports Hochi 4/14/2013

Kan Otake was removed from Wednesday's game after he popped a blood blister on his right index finger.  Source: Nikkan Sports 9/6/2012

He was taken off the active roster today in order to get treatment on the finger (he was going to end up missing a start anyway).  Source: Sponichi 9/6/2012

Tuesday night's game between the Hanshin Tigers and Hiroshima Carp at Mazda Stadium.

Top of the 2nd inning, runner on second, no out.  Tigers are up 2-0.

Akihito Fujii in the batter's box for Hanshin.  Kan Otake on the mound for Hiroshima.

Otake was tossed for throwing a dangerous pitch.

Fujii was carried off the field on a stretcher and was taken to the hospital where he was informed that a full check-up was necessary.  The team plans to send Fujii back to Osaka on Wednesday for testing.

Aside from Kenji Jojima and Fujii, the Tigers currently have just one other serviceable catcher on the active roster: Shinji Komiyama.

Wednesday's Ni-gun game against Chunichi (Dragons 10 - Carp 3): Yuya Fukui started the game and allowed right runs on ten hits and three wild pitches over a five innings of work.  He also gave up a three-run homer to Kei Nomoto in the 3rd inning. [Sponichi, Sports Hochi Osaka]

Tuesday's Ni-gun game against Chunichi (Carp 2 - Dragons 1): Kan Otake started the game and allowed one run on six hits over six innings of work.  He also threw seventy-four pitches and topped out at 144km/h. [Nikkan Sports]

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The Carp announced on Thursday that they will loan Ikusei pitcher Kyosuke Yamano to the Kagawa Olive Guyners (Island League) between April 4 and the end of October.  Kagawa's announcement.

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Kan Otake will likely make his first regular season start on April 3 against the Yomiuri Giants at Mazda Stadium.  Yuya Fukui could follow with a start on April 4.

The Carp had the day off today.

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Kan Otake worked out on his day off today.  He will likely pitch in an intra-squad game on Tuesday.

====== UPDATE 2/28 @ 3:20am

The Ni-gun Carp closed out camp in Nichinan, Miyazaki on Sunday and returned to Hiroshima.  Eishin Soyogi, working his way back from a contusion on his left knee, re-joined the Ichi-gun team.

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Baseball analyst Mitsuo Tatsukawa caught three of 1st round draft pick Yusuke Nomura's pitches in the bullpen today.

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NPB Commissioner Ryozo Kato, 1st round draft pick Nomura's parents, and Meiji University manager Tatsuya Yoshinami visited Okinawa camp today.

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Kenta Maeda told reporters on Sunday that he threw his bullpen at 80-90%.

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Team owner Hajime Matsuda gave Tomohiro Abe three kendamas on Sunday to help relax his knees when fielding and hitting.

Team owner Hajime Matsuda told reporters on Tuesday that they will continue to wait for Hiroki Kuroda with open arms.  A team official also hinted that the team was more or less done with making moves this winter.

In addition to the eight players they drafted last year (four of which are Ikusei players), the Carp added two foreign players (Nick Stavinoha and Kam Mickolio) and currently have 64 players on the 70-man roster.

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Kan Otake worked out at Mazda Stadium on Tuesday.  Workouts included running, trunk strengthening exercises, and playing catch.  Otake is coming back from right shoulder pains and visited four hospitals this winter, in various locations like Tokyo and Fukushima, for additional examinations and rehab instructions.

Kan Otake had his right hand examined today and was diagnosed with a comminuted fracture of the right fifth proximal phalanx (right pinky).  Otake will have to keep the finger immobile for about 4 weeks before getting another check-up to see how it's healing.

See also:

Hiroshima Carp: Kan Otake leaves after taking line drive off right hand

Kan Otake was hit by a line drive (right hand) off Atsunori Inaba's (HAM) bat in the 2nd inning and was removed from the game.  No other information is currently available.

This was Otake's second start since returning from right shoulder problems that sidelined him for almost a year.

UPDATE @ 11:44pm - According to Nikkan Sports, the ball hit Otake on the base of his right ring and pinky fingers.

UPDATE 5/29 @ 8:26pm - Kan was taken off the active roster today.  Seems the team thinks there might be a pretty good chance he suffered a fracture.  Kan is scheduled to get his right hand checked out on Monday.

This post will be updated throughout the day.

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The Carp have the day off today.

===== 2/14 @ 10:37pm

The Carp held a staff meeting today and decided that they will begin putting the squeeze on pitchers.

Said Kenjiro Nomura, "Even Ichi-gun pitchers that don't do well will be in trouble.  Pitchers standing on the borderline will realize that they aren't going to get a lot of chances moving forward."

A number of players, including Ren Nakata and Toshiaki Aizawa, are going to be called up from Ni-gun to take part in an intra-squad game on the 16th.

===== 2/14 @ 9:25pm

The team is concerned about the recent volcanic activity at Shinmoe Peak and are hoping they won't have too many problems with the wind blowing ashing into their training facilities.

===== 2/14 @ 4:20pm

The Carp decided yesterday that Masaya Kanemaru (4th round) and Yuki Tsurumoto (7th round) will be demoted to Ni-gun camp.  Yuya Fukui (1st round) would normally be on the verge of a demotion as well, but it seems the club is going to cut him a little slack and keep him with the Ichi-gun group for a bit longer (primarily because of the late start).

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Kan Otake threw 72 pitches in the bullpen yesterday (squatting catcher).  He also had Tetsuya Kokubo, Takahiro Iwamoto, and Yoshihiro Maru stand in the batter's box.  He also threw his shuto and change.  For Otake, it was his fourth bullpen this spring.

Otake - "It wasn't really a great session.  But more important was that i was able to throw.  I still can't get rid of the fear [of getting hurt again], but I think I need to keep pushing forward.  If I don't do this, I won't get passed it."

Chunichi Dragons' scout - "He looked good on the mound and it didn't seem like he was too worried about his shoulder.  Seems like he might be ready for the start of the regular season.  We need to consider the possibility that we might face Kenta Maeda, Bryan Bullington and him [during the first series of the season]."

Hanshin Tigers' scout - "The fact that he was throwing his shuto means his shoulder is feeling good.  He must be at that point where they're leaving it up to him to decide what to do."