Yomiuri Giants

Ryosuke Miyaguni started a Ni-gun game against Nippon Ham today.  He tossed seven+ shutout innings, gave up three hits, and topped out at 149km/h.

Source: Nikkan Sports 6/11/2013

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Toshiya Sugiuchi's first start after Inter-league play ends could come on the 25th against Hiroshima.  That would allow him to make two starts against Hanshin in July (the 2nd and the 16th).

Source: Daily Sports 6/11/2013

Yakult Swallows

Position players had the day off on Monday, but Tetsuto Yamada and Takahiro Araki were called in for extra fielding practice.  They each fielded about 250 grounders.

Source: Daily Sports 6/11/2013

Hiroshima Carp

A plaque commemorating the team's two-grand-slam game on May 12 vs Chunichi (Yoshihiro Maru in the 4th and Ryosuke Kikuchi in the 6th) was installed beyond the left field wall at Mazda Stadium on Tuesday.

Source: Daily Sports 6/11/2013

Hanshin Tigers

Yasutomo Kubo pitched in a Ni-gun game against Hiroshima today -- he entered the game in the 7th and gave up two runs on four hits over one inning of work; he also topped out at 149km/h.

Source: Nikkan Sports 6/11/2013

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Masashi Nohara will likely be added to the active roster on Wednesday.  He could get a look at third base with Ryota Arai getting sent down to Ni-gun for more work.

Source: Sanspo 6/11/2013

Yokohama Bay Stars

Kiyoshi Nakahata plans to use Alex Ramirez more often during the second half when facing left-handed pitchers.

Source: Nikkan Sports 6/11/2013

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The Bay Stars might turn to Jorge Sosa for the last two innings of their games.

Source: Daily Sports 6/11/2013

Yomiuri Giants

Shinnosuke Abe participated in full-squad workouts at Giants Stadium today.  He told reporters that his back was no longer a problem.  He hit four over the fence during batting practice.  He is slated to play on Wednesday.

Source: Sanspo 6/11/2013

Yakult Swallows

Shinya Miyamoto participated in full-squad practices at YafuOku Dome today.  He was also able to take batting practice.

Miyamoto did not play in the Nippon Ham series over the weekend because of a fluid build-up in his right elbow.  He spoke to reporters after workouts today and said he should be ok to play.

Source: Nikkan Sports 6/11/2013

Hiroshima Carp

Kenta Maeda (right side) was cleared to return to the active roster today in time for a start against Nippon Ham on the 15th.

Source: Sports Hochi 6/11/2013

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Bryan Bullington (taken off the active roster with pain in the right side of his lower back) has his sights on returning to the active roster before the end of Inter-league play.  That could mean some time during the Nippon Ham series at Sapporo Dome (June 15-16) or the make-up game against Nippon Ham at Mazda Stadium (June 18).

Bullington was at Mazda Stadium on Monday getting treatment for his back.  He no longer feels pain during forward movement, but does still feel some pain when moving from side-to-side.

Source: Daily Sports 6/11/2013

Nippon Ham Fighters

Hisashi Takeda (right elbow) worked out with the Ichi-gun team at Sapporo Dome today.

Takeda was taken off the active roster on the 1st with tightness in his right elbow.  He told reporters today that he no longer felt pain and that his shoulder and elbow were feeling good after the rest.  He is expected to return to the active roster on Wednesday.

Source: Nikkan Sports 6/11/2013

Yomiuri Giants

Before losing to the Rakuten Eagles on Sunday, Tetsuya Utsumi was 7-0 in nine games with a 0.45 ERA.

Source: Sponichi 6/10/2013

Yakult Swallows

Takahiro Araki, Tetsuto Yamada, Wataru Hiyane, and Masayoshi Miwa participated in extra fielding practices at Jingu Stadium today.  Araki and Yamada each committed three errors in Sunday's game against Nippon Ham.

Junji Ogawa spent about fifty-three minutes hitting 198 grounders.

Source: Sanspo 6/10/2013, Nikkan Sports 6/10/2013

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Shinya Miyamoto posted a message on his blog today to let fans know that his elbow is fine and that he expects to make it back into the starting line-up on Wednesday.  He also wrote that while the team was not playing at a high level right now, they still needed to play well enough to at least satisfy the fans that pay money to watch their games.

Source: blog 6/10/2013

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The Swallows will sell ticket packages that includes a tour of Tokyo Sky Tree.  More information can be found at the official team website.

Source: official announcement

Hanshin Tigers

Ryota Arai was taken off the active roster today because of his struggles at the plate.

Source: Daily Sports 6/10/2013

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Fourteen players, including Matt Murton, have hit two walk-off home runs in one month sixteen times in NPB history.

Source: Sponichi 6/10/2013

Yokohama Bay Stars

Jorge Sosa will take over as closer with Shun Yamaguchi heading to Ni-gun with back tightness.

Source: Sanspo 6/10/2013, Nikkan Sports 6/10/2013

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The Bay Stars held a press conference for Tim Corcoran at the team offices today.

Source: Sponichi 6/10/2013

Yomiuri Giants

John Bowker's home run in the 4th inning of Saturday's game against Nippon Ham was the franchise's 9,000th (since the start of the two-league format).  The first home run in franchise history was hit by Noboru Aota on March 11, 1950.  The Giants are the first team to reach the milestone.

The Giants hit 439 home runs before the start of the two-league format.  In all, they have hit 9,440 home runs.

FYI: Alex Ramirez was also credited with hitting the franchise's 9,000th home run on May 9, 2010.  That included the home runs from before the two-league format.

Source: Sponichi 6/9/2013

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1st round draft pick Tomoyuki Sugano apparently picked up some hints on how to use the curve while watching Rakuten's Masahiro Tanaka pitch against the Giants on May 22 at Kleenex Stadium.

Source: Nikkan Sports 6/9/2013

Yakult Swallows

The Swallows committed six errors in Sunday's game against Nippon Ham (three by Takahiro Araki and three by Tetsuto Yamada).  The last time they committed six in one game was on August 22, 1971.  The franchise record for most errors in one game is seven, set on April 27, 1951.

Source: Nikkan Sports 6/9/2013, Sanspo 6/9/2013

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Shinya Miyamoto did not play on Saturday because of some inflammation in his right elbow.

Source: Sanspo 6/9/2013

Hanshin Tigers

Matt Murton is the first player in franchise history to record two walk-off home runs in one month (June 6 vs Seibu and June 9 vs Lotte).

The last foreign Hanshin player to record two walk-off home runs in one season was Hal Breeden in 1977.

Source: Daily Sports 6/9/2013

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Blaine Boyer was scheduled to pitch in a Ni-gun game against Softbank on Sunday, but could not after he developed a crick in his neck while sleeping.  There is a chance he will be ok to pitch in an upcoming three-game series against Ni-gun Hiroshima (June 11-13).  This slight setback likely means he will not make the Ichi-gun roster in time for the Nippon Ham series that begins on the 12th.

Source: Nikkan Sports 6/9/2013

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Atsushi Nomi is the first Hanshin pitcher to record back-to-back complete game victories since Jason Standridge in 2011.  The last Japanese Hanshin pitcher to record two complete game victories in a row was Kei Igawa in 2006.

Source: Daily Sports 6/9/2013

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Minoru Iwata started a Ni-gun game against Softbank on Saturday and gave up six runs on seven hits (including two home runs) over 4.2 innings of work.  This was Iwata's second straight poor out -- he gave up six runs on nine hits over five innings in a Ni-gun start against Orix on May 31.

Source: Sanspo 6/9/2013

Nippon Ham Fighters vs Yakult Swallows @ Jingu Stadium - 15:00
Starters: Takeda, Masaru (HAM) 2-4, 5.06 - Leroux, Chris (YAK) 0-0, 4.05

Attendance: 22306 | Time: 3h24m | Nippon Ham leads series, 3-0-1

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Masanori Ishikawa (Yakult) was examined at a hospital and taken off the active roster on Friday with tightness in his left lower back.  The Swallows expect Ichikawa to return in the minimum amount of time.

Source: Sponichi 6/8/2013

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According to Sports Hochi, Kenta Maeda (Hiroshima) could toss a bullpen session on Sunday.  The timetable for his return (tightness in his right side) will be set based on how the session goes.  For now, Maeda is aiming for a return on June 15 (vs Nippon Ham at Sapporo Dome).

Nikkan Sports figures Maeda might not toss a bullpen session until the 11th.

Source: Sports Hochi 6/8/2013, Nikkan Sports 6/8/2013

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Kazuki Yoshimi (Chunichi) started his rehab at Nagoya Stadium today.  He is not allowed to do a lot of sweating right now and had to keep his workouts light.  The Dragons are hoping he will be able to start throwing before the end of the year.  That could put him on track for a return some time during the first half of the 2014 season.

Yoshimi had surgery on his right elbow (Tommy John surgery and an elbow cleaning) on the 4th and was discharged from the hospital on the 7th.

Source: Nikkan Sports 6/8/2013

Nippon Ham Fighters vs Yakult Swallows @ Jingu Stadium - 15:00
Starters: Wolfe, Brian (HAM) 2-3, 4.38 - Ogawa, Yasuhiro (YAK) 5-1, 2.95

Attendance: 24390 | Time: 3h27m | Nippon Ham leads series, 2-0-1

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Yakult Swallows

Masanori Ishikawa left his start on Thursday against Rakuten with some tightness in his lower back.  The Swallows could take him off the active roster depending on how he is feeling over the next couple of days.  He also did give up four runs (all earned) on five hits over four innings of work and could use a change of pace at Ni-gun.

Source: Sports Hochi 6/6/2013

Hiroshima Carp

Kenjiro Nomura recorded his 200th managerial victory on Thursday night.  He is now 200-261-23 over his career as manager.

Source: Daily Sports 6/6/2013

Hanshin Tigers

Matt Murton notched the first walk-off home run of his NPB career on Thursday night.  According to Sponichi, after swinging and missing on the first pitch of the at bat, he walked over to the dugout for a new bat and then hit an 0-1 slider over the fence in left.

Source: Sponichi 6/6/2013

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Daiki Enokida was taken off the active roster on Thursday for rest.  The Tigers want him fresh for when regular league games begin on the 21st.

Source: Daily Sports 6/6/2013

Yokohama Bay Stars

The Bay Stars have decided to call up Takehiro Ishikawa -- he could be added to the active roster as early as Saturday.  Taketoshi Goto will likely be sent down.

Source: Daily Sports 6/6/2013

Rakuten Eagles vs Yakult Swallows @ Jingu Stadium - 18:00
Starters: Norimoto, Takahiro (RAK) 5-3, 3.10 - Ishikawa, Masanori (YAK) 2-4, 3.48

Attendance: 14034 | Time: 3h18m | Rakuten leads series, 3-1-0

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Yomiuri Giants

General pitching coach Kazuhisa Kawaguchi told reporters on Tuesday that Hirokazu Sawamura will be sent to Ni-gun if does not pitch well against the Nippon Ham Fighters tonight.

Source: Sanspo 6/5/2013, Daily Sports 6/5/2013

Yakult Swallows

Takahiro Araki was added to the active roster today.  Araki has been swinging the bat well at Ni-gun: 61-for-175, .349/.423/.463.

Hanshin Tigers

Blaine Boyer made his Japan debut in an Ikusei game against the Kagawa Olive Guyners (Island League) today.  He entered the game in the 4th and induced three ground ball outs.  He threw a eight pitches, six for strikes, and topped out at 149km/h.

Source: Nikkan Sports 6/5/2013, Daily Sports 6/5/2013

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Kosuke Fukudome began his rehab at the Naruohama training facilities today.  Workouts included the stationary bike, stretches, trunk exercises, and a light massage.

"I will do what I can, little by little.  I feel I made the best decision, but I have to make sure things do not get bad now that I have had the surgery.  I first need to work my way back to normal," said Fukudome.

Source: Nikkan Sports 6/5/2013, Daily Sports 6/5/2013

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Yutaka Wada is scheduled to sit down with team owner Shinya Sakai after Inter-league play ends.  GM Katsuhiro Nakamura will also most likely attend the meeting.

Source: Sports Hochi 6/5/2013

Yokohama Bay Stars

The Bay Stars see Tim Corcoran as a possible number four starter behind Daisuke Miura, Shugo Fujii, and 2nd round draft pick Kazuki Mishima.

Source: Daily Sports 6/5/2013