11:20pm JST

Nakamura was not in the starting line-up tonight.

3:15pm JST

Takeya Nakamura (SEI) is currently mired in a major slump.  Since returning from an injury on the 25th, he has gone 3-for-26 with 15 strikeouts and just one extra base hit (a double).  And now it seems he might be temporarily dropped from the starting line-up.

It seems there's now a good change that Takayuki Kishi (SEI) will be able to make a return to he active roster before the end of the regular season.  And if he does, it could be as a reliever (for now, the Lions are set with their starters).

Kishi has yet to throw in the bullpen, but he has started long distance throwing exercises (about 70 meters) and will most likely hold his first bullpen session later this week.  Assuming no setbacks, that could put Kishi on course for a couple Ni-gun rehab games sometime in early to mid-September with a chance to make it back onto the active roster as early as 9/20.

On Saturday, Yu Darvish (HAM) became the 321st player to reach 1,000 innings in his career (134th game).  Hideaki Wakui (SEI) joined him as a fellow 1,000-inning pitcher later in the day (142nd game) to become the 322nd player in NPB history to reach the milestone.

Darvish also became the 6th quickest player (tie) to 1,000 innings.  The two quickest pitchers to 1,000 innings: Juzo Sanada and Hideo Nomo in their 131st career game.

In addition: Yanks pro scout Billy Eppler and Damon Oppenheimer were in the stands watching Darvish for his second start in a row.  Dodgers' Asia scout Keiichi Kojima was also at the game.

The Lions decided to take Kimiyasu Kudo, Ryoma Nogami, and Dee Brown off the active roster after Friday night's loss to the Rakuten Eagles.  In turn, the Lions will call up Taiyo Fujita, Alex Graman, and Ryo Sakata.

It appears the Seibu Lions will be adding Takeya Nakamura (SEI) to the active roster later today.  With the team losing four in a row and getting outscored 23-11, it seems they feel Nakamura will be able to provide a spark in the line-up.

In four Ni-gun rehab games, Nakamura went 6-for-12 with 3 doubles, a homer, 7 RBI, and 4 strikeouts.

Yasuyuki Kataoka (SEI) stole his 50th base on the season in the first inning of last night's game against the Chiba Lotte Marines.  That made Kataoka the first player to record at least three consecutive seasons of 50 or more stolen bases since Yutaka Fukumoto (Hankyu) strung together 14 straight seasons of 50 or more stolen bases between 1970 and 1983.

Kataoka is also just the 5th player in NPB history to put together three or more consecutive seasons of 50 or more stolen bases.  The other four players: Fukumoto, Chusuke Kizuka (1949 - 1952), Nobuyasu Morishita (1954 - 1956), and Norihiro Akahoshi (2003 - 2005).

The Lions previous record of two consecutive seasons with 50 or more stolen bases belonged to Kazuo Matsui (1996 - 1997).

Takayuki Kishi (SEI) did some long toss (about 60 meters) earlier today at Seibu 2 Stadium.  Kishi is currently working his way back from right shoulder pains and told reporters that while he is feeling much better now, he felt he needed a little more time.

The Seibu Lions will apparently start Ming-Chieh Hsu, Kazuhisa Ishii, and Fumiya Nishiguchi during their three game series against the Chiba Lotte Marines that begins tonight.

And it seems Hiroyuki Nakajima (left shoulder) is fine now and will be back in the starting line-up at short tonight.

Brian Sikorski (SEI) appeared in his 47th game last night and blew his first lead and save opportunity of the season.

Sikorski entered last night's game against the Nippon Ham Fighters in the 9th with a 3-run lead and gave up a homer to Yuji Iiyama with runners on first and second and two out.

Seems Hiroyuki Nakajima was still feeling some discomfort in his left shoulder today and the Lions figured it best to leave him out of the starting line-up as a precaution.