Chunichi Dragons

Masahiro Yamamoto was taken off the active roster today with a bruise on his left shin -- he took a batted ball off his left leg during his start against Nippon Ham on Wednesday.  The injury is not considered serious.  There were already plans to give him an extended rest.

Source: Nikkan Sports 5/16/2013, Sports Hochi 5/16/2013

Yakult Swallows

Masahiko Tanaka has decided not to go under the knife after suffering a fracture in his left collarbone during a game against Hanshin on the 12th.  He will likely require two to three months for a full recovery.

Source: Sanspo 5/16/2013

Hanshin Tigers

Kentaro Sekimoto was taken off the active roster today with pain in his left calf.  He reportedly suffered the injury during a game on the 12th.

Source: Sports Hochi 5/16/2013

Rakuten Eagles

Brandon Duckworth hurt his left hamstring during his start against Yokohama on Wednesday and was taken off the active roster today.  The injury does not appear to be severe.

Source: Sponichi 5/16/2013

Masahiro Yamamoto was taken off the active roster today with tightness in his left hamstring.  Yamamoto started feeling discomfort in his hamstring while running dashes during pre-game workouts on Sunday.  It does not appear to be serious.

Source: Nikkan Sports 4/15/2013

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In other team news:

Hirokazu Ibata took an HBP near his left ankle in the 1st inning of Sunday's game against Hiroshima.  He remained in the game, came around to score on Kazuhiro Wada's double to left, received some treatment in between innings, and later hit a two-run double to right in the 4th.

Source: Nikkan Sports 4/15/2013

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Morimichi Takagi did not hold a post-game press conference on Sunday for the first time this year.

Source: Sponichi 4/15/2013

The fans were starting to get to Takagi on Sunday -- staff had to keep him in check when a fan heckled him after the game.  He also was not very responsive during his LIVE post-game TV interview.

Source: Sanspo 4/15/2013, Nikkan Sports 4/15/2013

Masahiro Yamamoto could make his first regular season start during the second series of the year (vs Chuichi at Kyocera Dome, April 2-4).

Source: Daily Sports 3/21/2013

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Morimichi Takagi is thinking about batting Hirokazu Ibata fifth.

Source: Nikkan Sports 3/21/2013

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Takagi wants a little more power out of the clean-up spot and could bat Hector Luna three and Kazuhiro Wada four.

Source: Sports Hochi 3/21/2013

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Kazuki Yoshimi is scheduled to throw about 100 pitches in his last tune-up start before the regular season (Friday against Lotte at Nagoya Dome).

Source: Nikkan Sports 3/21/2013

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Takehiro Donoue and Kohei Oda joined the Ichi-gun team for practices on Thursday.

Source: Nikkan Sports 3/21/2013

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The Dragons and Nagoya will be working closer together this year.

• The Nagoya Dome-mae Yada Station will begin playing the Chunichi cheer song on days Ichi-gun home games are scheduled.  Nagoy, Sakae, and Kanayama Stations will make announcements on days there are games.
• The team will visit more elementary schools this year.

Source: Nikkan Sports 3/21/2013

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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Kenichi Nakata joined Ichi-gun camp today.  He is scheduled to pitch in a practice game on Friday.

Nakata missed the Final Stage of the Climax Series last year because of inflammation in his right shoulder.

Source: Sponichi 2/21/2013

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Masahiro Yamamoto returned to workouts today after going to the hospital on Wednesday with gastroenteritis.  His schedule included some catch and light running.  He plans to return to a regular schedule on Friday.

Source: Nikkan Sports 2/21/2013

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Yusuke Matsui also returned to practices today -- he missed workouts on Wednesday because he was sent to the hospital after developing a rash on his neck.

Source: Sponichi 2/21/2013

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Takuya Asao will not rejoin the team in Okinawa for spring camp and will instead head to Nagoya to have his right shoulder examined at a hospital.

Source: Nikkan Sports 2/21/2013, Nikkan Sports 2/21/2013

Daisuke Yamai and Yohei Oshima returned to Okinawa today.  They both got the day off today.

Source: Sponichi 2/21/2013

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Nikkan Sports has posted the situational batting practice session from Wednesday (runner on second, one out, 1-1 count):

Kazuki Yoshimi (thirteen batters, thirty-two pitches, zero hits, three strikeouts, one HBP)

Masahiko Morino = F6.  Ryoji Nakata = F9.  Naomichi Donoue = Ks.  Kei Nomoto = G5.  3rd round draft pick Takeru Furumoto = G3. Tetsuya Tani = G5.  Ryosuke Hirata = F8.  Takeshi Yamasaki = Kl.  Victor Diaz = HBP.  Victor Diaz = E8.  Shuhei Takahashi = G3.  Motonobu Tanishige = G6.  Ryoji Nakata = Ks.

Hitoki Iwase (thirteen batters,  twenty-eight pitches, four hits, three strikeouts, zero walks)

Daisuke Tanaka = G5.  Kazuhiro Wada = L6.  3rd round draft pick Takeru Furumoto = 2B to left.  Hector Luna = G5.  Victor Diaz = Ks.  Matt Clark = Ks.  Takeshi Yamasaki = G6.  Nobumasa Fukuda = G6.  Matt Clark = 1B to right.  Kyohei Iwasaki = infield 1B.  Hector Luna = 1B to right.  Atsushi Fujii = Kl.  Kazuhiro Wada = G5.

Brad Bergesen (fourteen batters, forty-two pitches, zero hits, one strikeout, three walks)

Akihiro Maeda = Ks.  Nobumasa Fukuda = BB.  Masahiko Morino = BB.  Naomichi Donoue = G4.  Ryosuke Hirata = G4.  Kyohei Iwasaki = G5.  Shuhei Takahashi = G4.  Ryoji Nakata = G6.  Atsushi Fujii = F8.  Masato Matsui = F8.  Naomichi Donoue = G4.  Motonobu Tanishige = G4.  Masato Matsui = BB.  Kei Nomoto = G1.

Daniel Cabrera (nine batters, thirty-two pitches, one hit, three strikeouts, zero walks)

Kei NOmoto = G3.  3rd round draft pick Takeru Furumoto = G5.  Tetsuya Tani = E3.  Motonobu Tanishige = F4.  Takeshi Yamasaki = G4.  Kazuhiro Wada = Kl.  Masahiko Morino = Ks.  Nobumasa Fukuda = K2.  Ryosuke Hirata = 2B to left.

Source: Nikkan Sports 2/21/2013

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Hitoki Iwase threw the knuckleball five to six times during situational batting practice today.  He told reporters he was curious to see how batters would react.

Source: Sports Hochi 2/20/2013

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Three players were sent to the hospital today: Masahiro Yamamoto for gastroenteritis, Masahiro Araki for the flu, and Yusuke Matsui for a rash he developed on his neck.

Yamamoto and Matsui might be able to return to practices on Thursday.  Araki will rest and rejoin the team as soon as he is feeling better.

Source: Sponichi 2/20/2013, Sanspo 2/20/2013

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Motonobu Tanishige worked with the Akihiro Maeda, Daisuke Tanaka, and Masato Matsui for about an hour on Tuesday.

Source: Nikkan Sports 2/20/2013

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3rd round draft pick Takeru Furumoto was called up to Ichi-gun camp for workouts on Tuesday.  He was not able to do much in front of the coaches because of the weather and will likely get at least one more day.  And while Morimichi Takagi has not discussed it with other members of the staff, it seems he is open to keeping the rookie around, so long as he does well.

Source: Sponichi 2/20/2013

Furumoto is about ten kilograms overweight, mostly because he was out with an eye injury in August last year and could not do much training.

Source: Nikkan Sports 2/20/2013

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Daisuke Yamai threw about forty pitches to a squatting catcher on flat ground on Tuesday.

Source: Sponichi 2/20/2013

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The Dragons announced that their farm team will play games against four amateur teams (Industrial League) next month.  All four games will be free.

Schedule

Source: official announcement

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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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Ichi-gun and Ni-gun players had the day off.

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Naomichi Donoue hit about 200 baseballs during his day off today (thrown by OF/base-running coach Ken Hirano).

Source: Sanspo 2/12/2013

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Masahiro Yamamoto worked out on his day off today.  Morimichi Takagi is concerned he might be pushing himself too hard.

Source: Nikkan Sports 2/12/2013

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Takuya Asao was not available to play in Monday's practice game against Samsung (KBO) because he felt some tightness in his right shoulder.  He was able to go through the day's scheduled workouts, but did not toss a bullpen session.  He did some running in the afternoon and finished workouts a little early.

Asao will head to WBC mini-camp without having pitched in any games.

Source: Nikkan Sports 2/12/2013

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It took Akinobu Shimizu over two and a half hours to throw 600 pitches in the bullpen on Monday.  A net was set up in front of the catcher to help off-set the workload (catchers also took turns).

"I thought about throwing 1,000, but that would have been impossible.  This was the first time I threw 600 pitches in one day.  But the pitches between 500 and 600 were the best I threw," said Shimizu.

Source: Nikkan Sports 2/12/2013

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The media learned today that amphetamines were discovered in the medicine used by Matt Clark.  Okinawa police do not plan to arrest Clark since he voluntarily stepped forward and provided them with everything they asked.  Papers will be filed with the prosecutor's office -- possession under the Stimulants Control Law.

The NPB does not plan on handing out any punishments since Clark has cooperated with police.

Source: Sanspo 2/12/2013

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The Ichi-gun and Ni-gun teams had the day off today.

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Morimichi Takagi was not happy about how sloppy the team played against Hanwha (KBO) on Tuesday: three wild pitches in the first four innings, two stolen bases allowed, Ryosuke Hirata popping out to short with the bases loaded and no out in the 6th inning.  He also spoke to all three catchers that played in the game: Akihiro Maeda, Daisuke Tanaka, and Masato Matsui.

Source: Sponichi 2/6/2013

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Masahiro Yamamoto would like to toss at least five more 100+ pitch bullpen sessions before the start of the season.

Source: Nikkan Sports 2/6/2013

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1st round draft pick Koji Fukutani visited a junior high school in Yomitan, Okinawa today.

Source: Sanspo 2/6/2013

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Alonzo Powell returned to the US today after spending the first five days at Chatan camp as an advisor for the foreign players.

Source: Nikkan Sports 2/6/2013

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Eddy Rivera returned to the Dominican Republic today after failing his tryout with the team.

Source: Sanspo 2/6/2013

Masahiro Yamamoto (47), Takeshi Yamasaki (43), Hitoki Iwase (37), and Kenshin Kawakami (37) are all planning to continue their active careers next season.  The media learned on Monday that the Chunichi Dragons met all four and broached the topic of retirement.

Team president Katsuhiko Sakai, team rep Ryohei Sato, and chief of team developement Takashi Ide met each of the players at a hotel in Nagoya on October 31.  They pushed each to continue playing in 2013.  They also said they planned to approach each of them during the season next year to discuss their future plans.

Said Sato, "Retirement did come up.  We asked what they thought about it.  We want them to consider becoming coaches at some point."

Bottom line, it seems the Dragons do not want to dance around the issue and want to keep things open.

Yamamoto and Yamasaki were uncertain about their futures before they decided to commit to 2013.  The other two are still probably a couple years away from retirement: Iwase led the league in saves this year and Kawakami just finished year one of his NPB comeback.

Source: Sponichi 11/2/2012, Sports Hochi Osaka 11/2/2012

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UPDATE @ 10:15pm - Nikkan Sports has a quote from Sato that explains what the Dragons are trying to do.

"We cannot just think a player's career is over and assume they know what we are thinking.  It also is not good for the player to be in a situation where they might not know if it is ok for them to stick around or they are not sure about what to do.  I just said that beginning next year, we should speak openly about these things and not assume/suspect what the other is thinking."

Source: Nikkan Sports 11/2/2012