Mitsuo Yoshikawa started a Ni-gun game against Seibu on Tuesday and gave up one run on five hits over six innings of work.  He topped out at 148km/h and struck out seven.

Source: Sports Hochi 3/27/2013

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1st round draft pick Shohei Otani made the opening day roster.  There is a good chance he will make the opening day starting line-up in right, batting seventh.

Source: Sanspo 3/27/2013

Otani most likely made the opening day roster because starting pitchers in the second-half of the rotation, like Hiroshi Kisanuki and Mitsuo Yoshikawa, have yet to be added.

Source: Daily Sports 3/27/2013

Otani's Ni-gun outing today was rained out.  He will pitch in Thursday's game.

Source: Sanspo 3/27/2013

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Takumi Oshima had surgery to remove a bone fragment from his right hand today.  He will begin his rehab at the Ni-gun facilities in Kamagaya once he is discharged from the hospital on the 29th.

Source: Sanspo 3/27/2013, Nikkan Sports 3/27/2013

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Haruki Nishikawa had his right shoulder examined at a hospital in Itoman, Okinawa today and was diagnosed with inflammation.  He received a shot as part of his treatment and returned to the team hotel for rest.  He is considered day-to-day.

Nishikawa may have hurt his shoulder while trying to make a play on defense during an Ni-gun intra-squad game on the 17th.

Source: Nikkan Sports 2/20/2013

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Toshiharu Moriuchi is slated to pitch in a practice game against Nexxen (KBO) on Thursday.

Source: Sports Hochi 2/20/2013

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Mitsuo Yoshikawa is scheduled to start a practice game against Hiroshima at Nago on the 26th.

Source: Nikkan Sports 2/20/2013

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1st round draft pick Shohei Otani had a fairly busy day on Tuesday: he tossed fifty-two pitches in the bullpen, took indoor batting practice against a pitching machine, did some base-running exercises and trunk strengthening exercises, and took about an hour of fielding practice in right.

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

The coaches have apparently decided to give Otani a try in the outfield instead of at short.  He could also join Ichi-gun camp after Ni-gun camp end on the 22nd.

Source: Nikkan Sports 2/20/2013

Otani is slated to toss batting practice to Takumi Oshima, Go Matsumoto, and Shingo Ishikawa on Thursday.

Source: Daily Sports 2/20/2013

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Mitsuo Yoshikawa is scheduled to toss batting practice some time during the fourth block of spring camp.

Source: Nikkan Sports 2/7/2013

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Sho Nakata fielded grounders with a first baseman's mitt for about an hour on Wednesday.

It started with three players for the first half and ended with two players in the second half.  About 770 baseballs were used.

Source: Nikkan Sports 2/7/2013

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1st round draft pick Shohei Otani could make his debut as a hitter during a practice game against KIA (KBO) on the 14th.

Source: Sanspo 2/7/2013

Otani's debut as a pitcher could take place during an intra-squad game on the 17th.

During his bullpen session on Wednesday, he threw thirty-four fastballs, nine curves, five sliders, and two cutters.

He could have the catcher squat during his next session, which might be as early as the 10th.

Source: Sanspo 2/7/2013

Otani could remain with the Ni-gun team after Ni-gun spring camp ends on the 22nd.

Source: Daily Sports 2/7/2013

Otani used glasses and a surgical mask as a disguise for his trip back home on Wednesday.  It did not stop fans from calling out to him at Haneda Airport.

Source: Sponichi 2/7/2013

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At around 3:20pm on Wednesday, the Fighters e-mailed all players at Nago camp about the tsunami warnings and reminded them to stay away from the ocean.

Source: Daily Sports 2/7/2013

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Atsunori Inaba stayed back after regular workouts today for extra fielding and batting practice.

Source: Sanspo 2/1/2013

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Mitsuo Yoshikawa did not toss a bullpen session today but did play catch.  There is still no timetable for when he will pitch in the bullpen.

"I it is still not quite there, but I am feeling less pain [every time I throw the ball]," said Yoshikawa.

Source: Nikkan Sports 2/1/2013

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Yuki Saito played catch at a distance of about thirty meters.

Source: Sanspo 2/1/2013

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Hideki Kuriyama threw salt onto the fields on Thursday to ward off the evil spirits.

Source: Nikkan Sports 2/1/2013

Kuriyama started at Ichi-gun camp today, worked his way to Ni-gun camp after morning workouts to check on players coming back from injuries, like Makoto Kaneko and Eiichi Koyano, and then went back to Ichi-gun camp.

It takes about forty minutes to get from one camp to the other by car.

Source: Sponichi 2/1/2013

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About 300 fans greeted the Nippon Ham Fighters at Naha Airport on Thursday.  Thirty TV cameras also crowded the airport.

Source: Sanspo 2/1/2013, Sponichi 2/1/2013

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GAORA will try to provide as much coverage of 1st round draft pick Shohei Otani during spring camp.  They are already prepared to handle live feeds from the Ni-gun camp facilities (their main focus still remains Ichi-gun camp).

Source: Nikkan Sports 2/1/2013

Otani speaks to the media:

You are now in Okinawa.  Your impressions?

It is a warm place.  I had a good workout during rookie training camp.  I want to keep going tomorrow.

This will be your first spring camp.  Your thoughts?

I am not sure about the practice menus.  I do not know how things go over the course of the day.  I am a little worried, but I want to strap myself in and go.  I would like to get through this at my own pace.

Are you ready?

I want to do what I have to and absorb whatever information, like advice and tips from other players, I can.

Did Kuriyama say anything to you?

He told me not to feel rushed...  That it must be difficult being in the spotlight and that I should not worry about all the eyes looking at me.

Source: Sanspo 2/1/2013

The winners of the 2012 Hochi Pro Sports Award were selected on Wednesday.  In baseball, the Central League Award went to Shinnosuke Abe (Yomiuri) and the Pacific League Award to Mitsuo Yoshikawa (Nippon Ham).  Abe won the CL award for the second time in his career (2007, 2012).

Source: 2012 Hochi Pro Sports Award

Mitsuo Yoshikawa is the winner of this year's Sapporo Dome MVP.

• He received 473 of 1,305 votes cast by fans at the official Sapporo Dome website.
• He recorded the first double-digit victory season of his career and recorded his tenth victory of the year during a start at Sapporo Dome.  He also led his team in wins.
• He won the ERA title in the Pacific League.
• He went 7-2 with a 1.42 ERA in eleven starts at Sapporo Dome.

Source: official announcement via Nikkan Sports 11/22/2012

The NPB announced the winneres of the 2012 MVP Award today:

Central League: Shinnsouke Abe (Yomiuri)

138 G, 159-for-467, 72 R, 22 2B, 1 3B, 27 HR, 264 TB, 104 RBI, 47 SO, 69 BB, .340/.429/.565

Pacific League: Mitsuo Yoshikawa (Nippon Ham)

25 G, 25 GS, 14-5, 5 CG, 3 ShO, 173.2 IP, 108 H, 6 HR, 158 K, 45 BB, 35 R, 33 ER, 1.71 ERA, 0.88 WHIP

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Mitsuo Yoshikawa had his left elbow evaluated at a hospital in Sapporo today and was diagnosed with inflammation in the ulnar collateral ligament.  Yoshikawa will be shutdown (no throwing, no exercises that might place any sort of strain on the elbow) for the time being and will receive treatment.

Source: Sponichi 11/9/2012

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UPDATE 11/10 @ 9:10am - Hideki Kuriyama told reporters on Friday the situation was not looking very good and that there was a chance Yoshikawa might have to be shut down for a while, perhaps even until early March.  The key point will be where he is come December.  Source: Nikkan Sports 11/10/2012

Mitsuo Yoshikawa developed pain in his left elbow near the end of this past season.  Despite this, he started three post-season games, the last one on four-days of rest: he turned in a respectable performance in Game 1 of the Final Stage of the Climax Series (7 IP, 102 NP, 7 H, 2 R, 2 ER), but struggled during his two Nippon Series starts (Game 1: 4 IP, 76 NP, 7 H, 1 HR, 4 R, 4 ER; Game 5: 2.2 IP, 65 NP, 6 H, 1 HR, 5 R, 5 ER).  There were some that suggested Yoshikawa skip his Game 5 start, but he insisted and the team allowed him to pitch.

Yoshikawa will have the elbow evaluated at a hospital in Sapporo on Friday.  Depending on the results, it is possible that he may not be ready for opening day next year.  That would also mean he will not be able to pitch in the WBC.

Source: Nikkan Sports 11/8/2012, Sponichi 11/8/2012

Yu Darvish wants to see Yuki Saito record seven to ten complete games and toss between 170 and 190 innings.

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Mitsuo Yoshikawa started Sunday's game against the Seibu Lions and took the loss.  He has not won a game since May 1, 2008; a span of twenty-one games in which he is 0-12.

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The Fighters might try turning to Yu Darvish for his thoughts on US players once he gets settled down in the US.  The organization currently has two US-based scouts in Matt Winters and Al Hargesheimer.  The addition of Darvish would give the team a more hands-on perspective.

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Had the Fighters won their game on Sunday, it would have given them three straight victories to start the season.  That would have been a first for the team since 1962.