Nobuhiko Matsunaka (SOF) hurt his right leg while running the bases in a game against Nippon Ham on the 6th and was taken off the active roster on the 7th.  He was examined at a Fukuoka hospital today and diagnosed with a right calf strain.  He will require about a month for a full recovery.

Source: Jiji Press 4/9/2013, Sponichi 4/9/2013

Ryoji Aikawa (Yakult) took a hard hit at home plate as he tried to block a run from scoring in the 4th inning of today's game against Yokohama (Tony Blanco was the runner).  He was removed from the game on defense in the 6th inning.  He was later taken to the hospital and diagnosed with a dislocated left shoulder.  He will require about two months for a full recovery.

Source: Sponichi 4/6/2013

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Nobuhiko Matsunaka (Softbank) left today's game after he hurt his right calf while running the bases in the 4th inning.  He will likely be taken off the active roster and will have his leg examined early next week.

Source: Sponichi 4/6/2013

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Nobuhiko Matsunaka took grounders at first for about thirty minutes today.

Source: Sanspo 2/2/2013

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3rd round draft pick Tomoki Takata cut his workouts short today because he was not feeling well (fever).

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

Nobuhiko Matsunaka was taken off the active roster today with a left hand joint sprain (there was no damage to bones).  Matsunaka was evaluated at a hospital on Sunday after he hurt his wrist while sliding into first on a ground out to short during a game against Yokohama on June 16.  Source: Nikkan Sports 6/18/2012, Sponichi 6/18/2012

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Hideki Okajima has not allowed a run in any of the twenty-four games he has appeared in so far this year.

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Once Terry Doyle's work visa clears (likely later this month), the Hawks will have him pitch in a few games at Ni-gun.  Source: Sponichi 6/18/2012

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Hiroki Kokubo will likely be added to the active roster on June 26 if can play through an upcoming three-game series against the Ni-gun Hiroshima Carp (begins on June 22) without getting tired and needing rest.  Source: Sports Hochi Osaka 6/18/2012

Tadashi Settsu was taken off the active roster today since he is not scheduled to pitch for at least ten days.  The Hawks also want to give Settsu a chance to rest before his next start.  Source: Sponichi 6/17/2012

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Nobuhiko Matsunaka did not take part in pre-game practice and was held out of today's game because he hurt his left wrist when sliding head first into first during Saturday's game against Yokohama.  Source: Sponichi 6/17/2012

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The Hawks held a press conference at Yahoo Dome for Terry Doyle today.  The Hawks have uploaded footage of the press conference at Ustream.  Source: Daily Sports 6/17/2012

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Hiroki Kokubo worked out at Yahoo Dome today.  He will begin taking live batting practice on Tuesday and will play in a Ni-gun game next weekend.  If everything is ok, he might be able to return to the active roster as early as June 26.

Kokubo may also undergo another evaluation on Monday.

Source: Nikkan Sports 6/17/2012

Today was the last day of fifth block of spring camp.  The team has the day off tomorrow.

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Hiroki Kokubo closed out his workouts early on Monday because of tightness in his back.  He left practices early again today and was excused from the intra-squad game.  Kokubo told reporters he was feeling better today (he got a second round of acupuncture treatment on Monday).

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Kenji Akashi was called up to Ichi-gun camp today -- he was working out at Ni-gun camp because of right shoulder problems.

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Koji Akiyama advised Kenji Otonari to watch Kazuyuki Hoashi toss bullpen sessions to figure out things he needs to think about when he tosses his (like taking sessions more seriously instead of just tossing them for the sake of tossing them).

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Sadaharu Oh told Nobuhiko Matsunaka on Monday that he was taking his hands back too much before his swing, likely because he was thinking too much about hitting the ball hard.

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Ayatsugu Yamashita slept in and was late to practice on Monday.  His punishment: demotion to Ni-gun camp.

Wily Mo Pena and Brian Falkenborg were scheduled to arrive in Fukuoka today.  Their flight arrived at 8:30pm but only Falkenborg stepped off the plane.  Pena ended up arriving about two and a half hours later -- he missed his connecting flight to Fukuoka because his plane arrived at Narita (out of Chicago) about 50 minutes behind schedule.

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Training camp for the 2011 draft class at the Saitozaki training facilities ended today.

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Seiichi Uchikawa (29) made an appearance on FBS' Yumekukan Sports today and was asked if he wanted to play in the Majors.  His reply: "The moment I joined the Hawks, I decided I would finish things out here."

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Edison Barrios arrived at Fukuoka Airport today (Venezuela > Narita > Fukuoka) and told reporters that he has been tossing bullpen sessions on a regular basis after two months of winter ball in Venezuela.

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Rehab coach Kazumi Saito (34) will attend spring camp in Miyazaki for the first time in three years.

Saito extended his coaching contract with the team on Saturday.

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Nobuhiko Matsunaka (38) on his role with the team:

I used to think about winning a championship while batting clean-up, but my view of the game starting changing last year.  [Yuichi] Honda, [Nobuhiro] Matsuda, [Seiichi] Uchikawa.  I will let them take care of the team.  I just want to play well over the remaining time I have left [in my career].  I think that will help the team.  I will play [with the excitement] as if I were a kid.

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Bullpen sessions:

Sunday

Nagisa Arakaki threw about 40 pitches to a standing catcher.  He told reporters he plans to throw about 100 pitches a session during spring camp.

1st round draft pick Shota Takeda tossed a bullpen session with a squatting catcher.

Nobuhiko Matsunaka returned to Japan today from his training in Guam.  He also met the Hawks at Yahoo Dome and signed off on a deal worth 200M yen (no change).  Matsunaka is in the final year of a seven-year deal.

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1st round draft pick Shota Takeda tossed a bullpen session today (standing catcher), his third since moving into the player dorm.

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Ryuma Kidokoro and Kenji Akashi attended a fan event at Best Denki in Fukuoka today.

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There is a chance Alex Cabrera might not make it back to Japan in time for the start of spring camp because his winter ball team (Tiburones de La Guaira) is competing in the Venezuelan Winter League Championships.  The series is currently tied at two game a piece; if it goes to a game seven, the series will end on January 30.

Stats: 11 G, 18-for-39, 8 R, 4 HR, 14 RBI, 31 TB, 3 BB, 11 SO, .462/.500/.795

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The Hawks announced today that they extended their sponsorship deal with Show Construction -- a Showa patch will appear on the front right hip area of the team uniform (pant).

Seiichi Uchikawa also took part in a commercial shoot for Showa today.

The Hawks announced today that their team slogan for 2012 will be "VV."

The two V's stand for:

- the players and fans coming together as one to win
- two Pacific League championships (2010 and 2011)
- the hope for two straight Nippon Series rings (2011 and 2012)

They also announced that "otosan" dog will continue on as the team's oen leader.  The dog has been leader since 2009.

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Nikkan Sports reports that Sadaharu Oh wants Angel Castro to learn on how to throw a change-up.  Sports Hochi has posted a slightly different report that has Oh calling for Castro to learn how to throw a curve

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Yuichi Honda returned from his training session in Saipan today.

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Hiroki Kokubo returned from his training session in Arizona today.  He also told reporters his rehab was going well (necks surgery in December) and that he started taking soft-toss BP on January 18.

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Nobuhiko Matsunaka is scheduled to return to Japan from his training in Guam on January 28.  According to a Nikkan Sports interview, he is prepared to call it quits whenever he feels he is no longer able to play well.  He also does have an interest in reaching the 2,000-hit mark (he is 269 hits away).

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1st round draft pick Shota Takeda threw 29 pitches (including off-speed pitches) in the bullpen (standing catcher) after practices on Thursday.  Takeda also threw 30 pitches in the bullpen the night before -- Ikusei 1st round draft pick Go Kamamoto "caught" him.

The Hawks announced today that they [re]signed Edison Barrios to an Ikusei deal and assigned him the number 142.

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Hiroki Yamada worked out for about two hours with group of players in Miyazaki on today. The group included players like Shota Oba and Ayatsugu Yamashita.

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Nobuhiko Matsunaka has been running four to five kilometers every day since beginning his workouts in Guam on 1/6.  He also plans to add dashes to his workouts, beginning on 1/20.  He told reporters he is aiming to be at around 80% for the start of spring camp.

Matsunaka is scheduled to return to Japan on 1/28.

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2nd round draft pick Shoji Yoshimoto has gained one kilogram since moving to the player dorm and currently weighs 82 kilograms.  He hopes to push that to 88kg some time this year.