Softbank Hawks

Kenji Otonari will undergo surgical treatment for the ossification of yellow ligament on the 21st (two sections in the ligaments near his spine).  He will require a ten-day hospital stay after the surgery and will most likely need four to five months for a full recovery.

A team trainer told reporters that he was informed Otonari might be able to start throwing again three months after the surgery.

Source: Sponichi 6/16/2013, Sports Hochi 6/16/2013

Rakuten Eagles

The media learned on Saturday that Yoshinao Kamata hurt his right elbow back in May.  According to reports, started feeling some discomfort in his right elbow a few days before he made a Ni-gun start against Seibu on May 21.  He was shut down after an examination revealed a possible stress fracture.  There was some concern since he suffered a similar injury in the same general area two years ago, but fortunately, there were no signs of inflammation during a follow-up examination on the 13th.  He started playing catch on the 14th.  Assuming no setbacks, he should be able to pitch in a game some time in July.

Source: Sports Hochi 6/16/2013

Chiba Lotte Marines

Tomoya Satozaki (right shoulder) is scheduled to rejoin the Ichi-gun team for practices on the 19th.  Seth Greisinger (right upper arm) is slated to return to the Ichi-gun team on the 21st.

Source: Nikkan Sports 6/16/2013

Yomiuri Giants

Yoshinobu Takahashi (left calf strain) was slated to be a DH in a Ni-gun against Nippon Ham today, but the game was rained out.  Whether this changes his schedule is unknown.  As of yesterday, he was set to re-join Ichi-gun workouts on the 18th.

Source: Sanspo 6/12/2013, Daily Sports 6/12/2013, Nikkan Sports 6/12/2013

Hiroshima Carp

Kenta Maeda (right side) is currently slated to return to the active roster in time for a start against Nippon Ham on the 15th.  Bryan Bullington (right lower back) should be ok to start the Nippon Ham game on the following day (16th).

Source: Nikkan Sports 6/12/2013

Hanshin Tigers

Kosuke Fukudome (coming off left knee surgery) worked out at Naruohama on Tuesday.  For now, it seems he will require about three months for a full recovery.  He also stopped using crutches on the Tuesday.

Source: Sanspo 6/12/2013, Nikkan Sports 6/12/2013

Chiba Lotte Marines

Tomoya Satozaki (right shoulder, right calf) could return to the active roster when regular season play resumes on the 21st.

Source: Daily Sports 6/12/2013

Shunichi Nemoto and Tomoya Satozaki were taken off the active roster today.

Satozaki was taken off the active roster because of tightness in his right arm.  He had also missed the last couple of games for the same reason.

Nemoto twisted his left knee during Wednesday's game against the Nippon Ham Fighters and was diagnosed with a left knee sprain.

Source: Sports Hochi 8/2/2012

Takashi Ogino is coming back from right knee surgery and Tatsuya Uchi is coming back from right elbow surgery. Ogino played in his first rehab game on Saturday: Ni-gun vs Seibu, 0-for-2, 2 R.  Uchi pitched in his first rehab game on Sunday: Ni-gun vs Seibu, 1 IP, 3 BF, 14 NP, 0 H, 1 SO, 0 BB/HBP, 0 R, 0 ER.

Norifumi Nishimura on when they expect Ogino and Uchi to return to the active roster, via Nikkan Sports: "We were first thinking mid-May, but there is no need to rush their returns.  Uchi needs more innings and Ogino needs more at bats.  It would hurt them, and the team, if [we rushed their returns and] they got hurt again."

===

Tomoya Satozaki could return to the starting line-up as early as Tuesday, dependent on how he is feeling in the morning.

Satozaki took a foul ball off his right arm on April 13.  He played a full game the following day, but has not played in any games since because the team felt he needed some rest.

===

Takahiro Fujioka's next start could come against the Softbank Hawks on April 30 at QVC Marine.

===

Seth Greisinger has not allowed a run in either of his two starts this season:

4/10 vs Orix: 8 IP, 113 NP, 28 BF, 2 H, 6 SO, 2 BB, 0 R, 0 ER
4/4 vs Seibu: 7 IP, 94 NP, 23 BF, 4 H, 9 SO, 0 BB, 0 R, 0 ER 

He is slated to start Tuesday's game against the Nippon Ham Fighters.

Tomoya Satozaki and Kazuya Fukuura both worked out at QVC Marine today.

Satozaki's workouts included playing catch, long toss, fielding practice, and BP.  Satozaki changed his diet this winter in an attempt to create a body that can withstand playing a full season.  He is also just four shy of 100 career home runs.

Fukuura told reporters he wanted to improve his batting average this season and will be using a bat that is about 10 grams heavier (between 900 to 910 grams) than what he used last year.  He also expressed an interest to play first.

===

The first block of training camp (1/10-1/12) for the 2011 draft class ended today.  2nd round draft pick Yuhei Nakaushiro told reporters he wanted to visit Ikebukuro on his day off tomorrow.

1st round draft pick Takahiro Fujioka took some soft toss BP from both sides of the plate during practices today.

Training camp for the 2011 draft class started at QVC Marine today and lasted about three and a half hours.  Workouts included running and playing catch.

===

Norifumi Nishimura considers all four members of the 2011 draft class as players that can contribute right away.  As such, all four might begin the year at Ichi-gun spring camp.

===

The Marines announced their 2012 slogan today: 和のもとともに闘おう! (or Together as a Group, Let us fight as a Group!)

===

Tomoya Satozaki made an appearance at his alma mater Naruto Kogyo High School today.  He spoke for about an hour in front of around 300 students, teachers, and parents.

===

Toshiaki Imae borrowed a Mizuno bat from Seiichi Uchikawa last season and liked it so much that he ordered a similar type of bat from SSK this winter.  The bat is apparently 1.5 time thicker than the bat he used last year with a center of gravity located closer to the grip.

The Chiba Lotte Marines took Tomoya Satozaki off the active roster today after he was diagnosed with an injury to his left intercostal muscle.  Satozaki suffered the injury during practice on Tuesday and had his back checked out at a hospital.  He will need 2-3 weeks for a full recovery.

Satozaki was taken off the active roster last month (8/28) with back pains and was just activated last week (9/7).

Tomoya Satozaki was taken off the active roster today due to pain in his lower back / hip (likely due to fatigue).  Satozaki is not scheduled to go to the hospital and will instead report to the Ni-gun facilities for rehab/treatment.

The Chiba Lotte Marines gave Tomoya Satozaki a 2-year extension worth 300M yen.  His salary for the 2011 season will be 125M yen, down 5M yen from this past season.

Tomoya Satozaki met with the Chiba Lotte Marines today and apparently told them that he wanted to stay because he loved the team.  Shunsuke Watanabe is also in the talks with the team and while he didn't say which way he was leaning, he did say that he liked Chiba and enjoyed pitching in Chiba.  He apparently put the Marines on hold and will have at least one more meeting with them before deciding what he wants to do.

Hiroyuki Kobayashi met with the Marines today as well and told them that he was going to exercise his international FA option to pursue his dream of playing in the Majors.