Yutaka Wada watched the Ni-gun game against Orix at Naruohama on Thursday and likes Ryota Imanari as a possible left-handed DH candidate.  He is still not sure what to do about the DH from the right side.  Wada is also thinking about giving the Arai brothers and Matt Murton a break by using them as DHs.

Source: Sanspo 5/17/2013

Wada does want to call up a right-handed bat to take Kentaro Sekimoto's spot on the active roster.  Shinta Hifumi and Masahiro Nakatani are two possible candidates.

Source: Nikkan Sports 5/17/2013

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Takahiro Arai and Ryota Arai could swap spots in the batting order -- Takahiro could move up to batting fifth with Ryota dropping down to sixth.

R. Arai (batting fifth): 11 G, 6-for-40, .150/.250/.275
T. Arai (batting sixth): 31 G, 33-for-111, .297/.368/.486

Source: Sanspo 5/17/2013, Daily Sports 5/17/2013

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1st round draft pick Shintaro Fujinami was scheduled to throw about fifty pitches in the bullpen on Thursday.  He instead threw about twenty after asking if he could throw less.

Fujinami is not traveling with the team so that he can keep his workouts on the natural grass as Naruohama and Koshien.  The team also wants to keep his travel fatigue down.  Moving forward, he will likely have a chance to face some live hitters before he returns to the active roster on the 26th.

Source: Nikkan Sports 5/17/2013

The Tigers will have a better idea for when Fujinami will be able to return to the active roster for his next start after his next bullpen session on Saturday.

Source: Sports Hochi 5/17/2013

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Thursday's Ni-gun game against Orix:

Naoto Nishida started at second and batted third.  He went 1-for-3 with a home run off Alex Maestri in the 3rd.  Source: Sanspo 5/17/2013

The Hanshin Tigers took 1st round draft pick Shintaro Fujinami off the active roster today with back tightness.

"[Fujinami] is practicing as usual and he can play catch.  It is not a big deal.  It is just some tightness.  We will monitor him over the next couple/few days and decide when he will pitch next," said Yutaka Wada to reporters.

Atsushi Nomi is slated to get Fujinami's start against Yakult on Sunday.

Source: Daily Sports 5/11/2013, Nikkan Sports 5/11/2013

The Tigers will likely go with a five-man rotation during Inter-league play.  The first four spots will probably go to, in no particular order, Randy Messenger, Jason Standridge, Atsushi Nomi, and 1st round draft pick Shintaro Fujinami.  Daiki Enokida will most likely land the fifth spot, but Minoru Iwata may still have a shot.

Source: Sanspo 5/10/2013

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The Tigers are planning to remove pitch limits on Fujinami some time in June.

Source: Sanspo 5/10/2013

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The Tigers are thinking about bringing Kosuke Fukudome back during Inter-league play and using him as a DH provided that his left knee is healed to the point where it can not get worse.  Bottom line: they want Fukudome as a healthy position player, not as a bat off the bench or a long-term DH.  For the time being, he will focus on rehab/treatment.

Source: Sponichi 5/10/2013, Sanspo 5/10/2013

Fukudome began his rehab today at the indoor training facilities at Koshien (electrotherapy and ice treatment).

Source: Daily Sports 5/10/2013

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Coming into today, Takahiro Arai is 14-for-40 with one home run and five RBI in eleven games at Matsuyama over his career.  He also went 3-for-4 with a home run during the 2002 All-Star Game.

Source: Sponichi 5/10/2013

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Akira Iwamoto and Hirokazu Shiranita could make the active roster during Inter-league play as long relievers or spot emergency starters (particularly during games in which the DH-rule is used).

Source: Sanspo 5/10/2013

The Tigers will likely start Atsushi Nomi, Jason Standridge, and Daiki Enokida against the Yomiuri Giants at Tokyo Dome (April 16-18).

Source: Nikkan Sports 4/15/2013

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1st round draft pick Shintaro Fujinami is the fifth pitcher drafted out of high school in NPB history to record their first pro victory the year after they won a Koshien tournament and the first in that group to record their first pro victory at Koshien.  He is also the first pitcher out of high school in franchise history to record their first pro victory at Koshien since Yutaka Entasu on April 29, 1967.

Source: Sponichi 4/15/2013

Fujinami became the first rookie pitcher out of high school to successfully lay down a squeeze bunt since Shinichi Kondo (Chunichi) on September 30, 1987.

Source: Nikkan Sports 4/15/2013

Tsutenkaku in Osaka will be offering free admission to anyone named Shintaro or Fujinami (usually costs 600 yen) between April 15 and April 21.  Proof will be required.

Source: Sanspo 4/15/2013

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Ryota Arai played in an Ikusei game against Riseisha Gakuen on Sunday.  He started at first and batted fourth.  It was his first game on defense since he hurt his left hamstring.  He handled three chances without any problems.  He went 0-for-1: walk, foul out to first.

Source: Daily Sports 4/15/2013

Arai is slated to return to the active roster on Tuesday.

Source: Nikkan Sports 4/15/2013

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Matt Murton hung out with his family at Universal Japan today.

Source: Tweet 4/15/2013

Daily Sports has posted Shintaro Fujinami's post-game interview with the media after his first pro victory today.

Interviewer: Your thoughts after your first victory.

Fujinami: I am happy.  And I am happy that I was able to record my first victory at Koshien.

Interviewer: What does the game ball feel like?

Fujinami: I am very happy.  This is a very important ball.

Interviewer: You recorded your first victory at Koshien, where you won consecutive Spring and Summer tournaments.

Fujinami: I enjoy pitching here and I had the fans pulling for me.  I did not have my best stuff, but I managed.

Interviewer: You executed a successful squeeze bunt.

Fujinami: I am just glad that the ball rolled to a good spot.

Interviewer: Fellow Osaka Toin grad [Tsuyoshi] Nisihioka is standing next to you.

Fujinami: He is a dependable guy.  I am grateful for his help.

Interviewer: Nishioka, what did you think of Fujinami's performance?

Nishioka: Yesterday, Osaka Toin grads let a game get away and I feel bad for that.  I am glad that I was able to pair up with another Osaka Toin grad and do better today.

Interviewer: How did he look from second?

Nishioka: He looked big.  It is a first step in what I think will be a long career.  He will be a reliable pitcher.  He will leave his mark.

Interviewer: What kind of person is he?

Nishioka: He is very serious.  Osaka Toin grads can be a little wild...  He is smart and is more of an adult than me.

Interviewer: Is there anything he can learn from you?

Nishioka: What you see is what you get.  I think it best he not look to me as an example.  Shintaro's first step in baseball.  I just want to congratulate him.

Interviewer: 45,000 fans were in the stands.

Fujinami: I heard their cheering and they provided me with strength.  I will continue to work hard so please watch after me.

Interviewer: Nishioka, how do you grade Fujinami's performance?

Nishioka: Can it be graded.  It should be 100%, since he won.  But he copied my word (laugh).  We never even spoke about it beforehand.  What a surprise.

Interviewer: How do you grade his interview?

Nishioka: I guess about a twenty (laugh).  This is really a great day for Shintaro.  I will leave you with him.  Thank you.

Interviewer: Nishioka left the interview stage.  Speaking for the team, please tell us your thoughts about the upcoming Yomiuri series that begins on the 16th.

Fujinami: They are at the top and they are the Giants.  I will do my best to help the team win as a whole over the course of the year, one game at a time.

Interviewer: Lastly, what is your goal for the season?

Fujinami: I have not set any specific numbers.  I just want to do my best to help the team win, each time they give me the ball, one game at a time.

Source: Daily Sports 4/14/2013

The Tigers 0-3 in day games.  In those three games, they have managed to score just one run -- a home run by Takeshi Hidaka in the 8th inning of the third game.

Source: Nikkan Sports 4/8/2013

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All the coaches were involved in the decision to bat Matt Murton clean-up on Sunday.  Their decisions were based on current performance.

Source: Daily Sports 4/8/2013

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1st round draft pick Shintaro Fujinami will likely toss three bullpen sessions before his next scheduled start on the 14th (vs Yokohama at Koshien) because he was limited to just forty-two pitches on Sunday (first official pro relief appearance).

Source: Nikkan Sports 4/8/2013

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Ryota Arai started his rehab workouts at Naruohama on Sunday -- he worked on his upper body in the morning and used the pool in the afternoon.  Arai is hoping to make it back to the active roster in the minimum ten days.

Source: Sponichi 4/8/2013

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Ryo Asai will be promoted.

Source: Sanspo 4/8/2013

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Ni-gun game against Chunichi on Sunday:

Tatsuya Kojima started the game and tossed seven shutout innings while allowing one hit (a double to right to Takehiro Donoue in the 2nd inning).  He recorded eleven ground ball outs, struck out eight, and topped out at 141km/h.  Source: Daily Sports 4/8/2013 ... Ryo Watanabe entered the game in the 8th and tossed a shutout inning in relief.  He faced five hitters, gave up two hits, threw eighteen pitches, and topped out at 138km/h.  He is scheduled to pitch in the upcoming Ni-gun Softbank series (April 9-11) and could be added to the active roster in time for the Yokohama series (at Koshien, April 12-14).  Source: Sanspo 4/8/2013

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The Tigers will continue their ECO PET bottle cap collection drives this season.  Last year, they collected 282,616 caps.

Source: official announcement

Situational batting practice on Wednesday at Naruohama:

Yasutomo Kubo faced three hitters and gave up two hits -- Fumiya Araki hit an infield single; Katsuhiko Saka grounded out to the pitcher; and Hayata Ito hit a double to right-center.  Kubo was originally scheduled to face two hitters, but needed to throw a few more pitches and faced a third.  Source: Nikkan Sports 3/28/2013 ... Matt Murton went 2-for-2.  Source: Sanspo 3/28/2013 ... Shinjiro Hiyama went 1-for-2 -- single to right off Naoto Tsuru.  Source: Nikkan Sports 3/28/2013 ... Takahiro Arai went 1-for-4 with a double to right.  Source: Daily Sports 3/28/2013

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T. Arai could make the starting line-up at first in place of Brooks Conrad if the team 1) feel Arai is healthy enough and 2) thinks he can do a better job on offense against left-handed pitching.

Source: Daily Sports 3/28/2013

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Yutaka Wada spent about ten minutes giving Ryota Arai tips on hitting after batting practice on Wednesday.

Source: Daily Sports 3/28/2013

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The Tigers may place an innings limit on 1st round draft pick Shintaro Fujinami.  If they do, it will be at least 144 innings, which is the requirement to qualify for an ERA title.

Source: Sanspo 3/28/2013, Daily Sports 3/28/2013

Fujinami used to throw three bullpen sessions in between his starts -- for example, if he started a game on Sunday, he would toss sessions on Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday.  He will now only be allowed to toss two bullpen sessions.  If he tosses a session the day before a start, he will likely be limited to about forty pitches.

Source: Nikkan Sports 3/28/2013

Fujinami threw forty pitches in the bullpen today.

Source: Sponichi 3/28/2013

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The Miki House Sanspo MVP Award prize money will jump from one million to ten million yen if the team manages a first place finish this year.

Source: Sanspo 3/28/2013

Hayata Ito worked out with the full-squad for about three hours at Kyocera Dome on Tuesday.  He then went to the Naruohama training facilities and did some weight training for about an hour.

Source: Sanspo 3/27/2013

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1st round draft pick Shintaro Fujinami will go into his next start after throwing two bullpen sessions instead of three.

Source: Sponichi 3/27/2013

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For the time being, the Tigers plan to only use Takahiro Arai at first base because his right shoulder is not quite 100% yet.

Source: Sanspo 3/27/2013

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Atsushi Nomi started a Ni-gun game against Hiroshima on Tuesday and gave up three runs (two earned) on six hits over seven innings of work.  He threw ninety-three pitches and topped out at 143km/h.   Of the six strikeouts he recorded, four came on the fork.

Source: Nikkan Sports 3/27/2013

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The Tigers are planning to drink some Yakult before they play their opening day game against the Yakult Swallows on the 29th.  About 100 bottles will be prepared for the team.

Source: Daily Sports 3/27/2013

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Team owner Shinya Sakai plans to catch the opening series on TV (vs Yakult at Jingu, 29th-31st).

Source: Sanspo 3/27/2013

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Yomiuri TV and Hanshin announced that they will donate ten million yen to earthquake relief/reconstruction efforts in northern Japan.  A portion of the revenue from a Yomiuri-Hanshin old timers game in November 2012 and proceeds from a uniform charity auction were pooled together.  The money will be sent to the Japan Red Cross Society this month.

Source: Nikkan Sports 3/27/2013

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The season's earliest magic number (144) went up at the Amagasaki Chuo San-chome Shopping District in Hyogo today.  About 150 fans showed up for the unveiling ceremony.  This marks the eleventh year of the magic number display.

Source: Sanspo 3/27/2013

Takashi Toritani did not play in today's exhibition game against Lotte because he fouled a ball off his right thigh during a game on the 22nd.  He should be in the line-up on Sunday.

Source: Sponichi 3/23/2013

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Takumi Akiyama started a Ni-gun game against Orix today and gave up a run on five hits over six innings of work.  The lone run scored in the 1st when he surrendered an RBI single to Shinji Takahashi with runners on first and second.

Source: Nikkan Sports 3/23/2013

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Atsushi Nomi will likely make his first regular season start on April 2 against Chunichi at Kyocera Dome.  He is also expected to get a Ni-gun tune-up outing on the 26th against Hiroshima.

The rotation could be: Randy Messenger, Minoru Iwata, 1st round draft pick Shintaro Fujinami, Nomi, Jason Standridge, and Daiki Enokida.

Source: Nikkan Sports 3/23/2013

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Fujinami threw eighty-three pitches, mostly from the set position, in the bullpen today.  He is scheduled to throw about 100 pitches in his exhibition game start against Orix at Kyocera Dome on Sunday.

Source: Sponichi 3/23/2013

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Ni-gun game against Orix on Friday:

Masahiro Nakatani started at third and batted fifth.  He went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run and two RBI.  Source: Sanspo 3/23/2013 ... Hayata Ito started in center and batted sixth.  He went 2-for-5 with a two-run home run, two RBI, and three strikeouts.  Source: Sanspo 3/23/2013

Sanspo has posted a portion of 1st round draft pick Shintaro Fujinami's post-game interview with the media after Sunday's start against Seibu.

On your outing.

I did not feel great out there and gave up two runs.  There were times I was not pitching at my best and I do not think I did a very good job.  I flew open a little and fell behind in the count.  I gave up unnecessary walks.

You got strikeouts when you really needed them.

Strikeouts are the best kind of out, so I was going after them.

You threw a personal high eighty pitches.

I can throw more.  I did not feel very taxed.

You faced fellow Osaka Toin alumnus Hideto Asamura (Seibu).

He got a hit off me on a bad pitch.  But that is the difference between high school [and professional players].

What was mentioned when they called you on a balk?

I think I was a bit slow.  It was a first since junior high.  In high school, you just get warnings.

You topped out at 148km/h.

I am not really concerned about velocity.  I am fine with 140km/h, so long as I can get hitters out.

What kind of adjustments did you make in the 5th inning?

I felt I was not using my lower body very well, so I made sure I to focus on staying back on my back leg during my last inning.  The quality of my pitches improved [in the 5th].

You gave yourself a seventy percent in your last outing and your outing before that.

Today was very bad.  I think it was a sixty or sixty-five percent.

Source: Sanspo 3/18/2013