The Orix Buffaloes announced today that Yoshio Itoi was diagnosed with a minor tibial collateral ligament injury in his right knee.

"It is a grade one injury, the most minor in a three tier system.  [Itoi] can hit.  We will have to wait to see on the running and bring that up accordingly.  The doctor did not throw up a red light," said chief trainer Takuya Noma (野間 卓也).

Itoi will not be taken off the active roster for the time being.  His treatment will include icing and electrotherapy.

Source: Nikkan Sports 5/8/2013

UPDATE @ 5:31pm - It could take about two weeks for a full recovery.  Source: Sponichi 5/8/2013

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Kosuke Fukudome (Hanshin) was taken off the active roster today with pain in his left knee.  Fukduome tweaked the knee while getting out of te batter's box during an at bat in a game against Yakult on the 3rd.

"We were thinking about how to get [Fukudome] back in the shortest amount of time.  He is swinging the bat well during batting practice, but in terms of running, he says he is at about fifty percent.  In watching him over the last couple of days, it does not seem like things are improving very quickly.  If we were looking to get one at bat out of him, then it might not take ten days, but we want him back in the starting line-up and do not want this to drag out.  He is not a pinch-hitter.  He is a starter.  We want him back as soon as possible," said Yutaka Wada.

Fukudome will return to Osaka today, rest on Thursday, and begin rehab at Koshien on Friday.

Source: Nikkan Sports 5/8/2013, Daily Sports 5/8/2013

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Kazuki Yoshimi (Chunichi) was taken off the active roster today, most likely because of tightness in his right elbow.  The tightness is reportedly in the same area he had problems with back in April.

Source: Daily Sports 5/8/2013

The Chunichi Dragons took Yuta Muto off the active roster on Friday because of pain in his left side.

Source: Sponichi 5/3/2013

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Kosuke Fukudome (Hanshin) hurt his left leg while swinging the bat during his at bat in the 2nd inning of Friday's game against Yakult.  He was removed on defense in the 3rd as a precaution.  Yutaka Wada later told reporters that Fukudome twisted his ankle while swinging the bat.

Source: Daily Sports 5/3/2013, Sanspo 5/3/2013

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Kenji Otonari (Softbank) was removed from the active roster on Friday with discomfort in his lower back.  Otonari reportedly tweaked his back during his last outing on April 29 (vs Lotte at QVC Marine).  The Hawks are hoping he will be ok to pitch after skipping his next turn in the rotation.

Source: Sports Hochi 5/3/2013

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Yoshio Itoi (Orix) hurt his right knee when his right foot got caught in ground while sliding into second base in the 4th inning of Friday's game against Lotte.  He remained in the game on defense in the 5th, but was removed on defense in the 6th.  He is considered day-to-day.

Source: Sponichi 5/3/2013

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Takahiro Okada (Orix) was taken off the active roster on Friday with what the team feels is fasciitis in his left hamstring.

Source: Sanspo 5/3/2013

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Dae-Ho Lee will be getting a new number this season: from twenty-five to ten.

Lee wore the number ten when he played for the Lotte Giants.  He could not get the number when he first signed with Orix because Keiji Obiki was wearing it at the time.

Source: official announcement, Nikkan Sports 2/8/2013

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Yoshio Itoi was back training with the main team on Thursday.  On Tuesday, he experienced some tightness in his left hamstring and eased up on workouts.  He got his hamstring treated on Wednesday and was good enough to return to normal practices on Thursday.

Source: Nikkan Sports 2/8/2013

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February 7 has not been very kind to Chihiro Kaneko.  According to Sanspo, it was the day he decided to have surgery on right elbow surgery in 2011, the day he had to cut back on his workouts because of tightness in his right arm in 2012, and the day he was diagnosed with acute gastroenteritis this year.

Source: Sanspo 2/8/2013

Kaneko received IV treatment for his acute gastroenteritis.  He showed up at the stadium this afternoon and did some light workouts (like the stationary bike and some weight training).  He might be able to return to practices on Saturday.

Source: Sanspo 2/8/2013, Sports Hochi 2/8/2013

The Ichi-gun and Ni-gun teams had the day off today.

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Yusuke Kajimoto, Tetsuya Yokoyama, and Yuki Tsutsumi spent time in the weight room on their day off today.  Yokoyama also spent sometime time taking indoor batting practice.

Source: Nikkan Sports 2/6/2013

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Yoshio Itoi eased up on his workouts on Tuesday because he felt some soreness in his left hamstring during situational fielding practices.

"I asked to get it taped, but they wanted me to take it easy as a precaution.  It is not a big deal.  I do not feel a twang or any pain," said Itoi.

Itoi could end up batting sixth and playing right for Samurai Japan.

Source: Nikkan Sports 2/6/2013, Sanspo 2/6/2013

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Yoshio Itoi stayed back for extra batting practice and hit over 100 baseballs in the indoor training facilities.

Source: Sports Hochi 2/1/2013

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The entire pitching staff tossed bullpen sessions today.  All sessions were to squatting catchers.

Source: Daily Sports 2/1/2013

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The Buffaloes were presented with a number of Miyakojima products, like ten kilograms of Miyako beef and two kilograms of prawn, during a welcoming ceremony before the start of practices today.

Source: Nikkan Sports 2/1/2013

Interesting reports have gone up today about the three for two trade that sent Yoshio Itoi from the Nippon Ham Fighter to the Orix Buffaloes on Wednesday.

A Sanspo article, The Reporters Eye: Nippon Ham's Calculations, discusses how the Fighters may have decided to trade Itoi because he wanted to posted.  They likely factored in his salary for this season, the drop in attendance last season, and whether or not they would be able to recoup the cost with the posting fee.  Also factored into the condition: possible changes to the posting system structure that may lower/limit the amount that goes to NPB teams.

Additionally, there may have been concerns about a thinning infield with the departure of Kensuke Tanaka and an uncertain Makoto Kaneko.  Keiji Obiki was apparently the Fighters' main target.

With the trade, the Fighters' payroll dropped to third and Orix moved up to second.  Softbank sits atop the PL with the highest payroll (unsurprisingly).

Incidentally, Itoi reportedly asked for a raise of over 10% when contract negotiations with the Fighters resumed earlier this month.

Source: Sanspo 1/24/2013

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Nikkan Sports mentions that Itoi may have asked to be traded if the Fighters could not agree to post him.  They also note that the Fighters now have the option of moving 1st round draft pick Shohei Otani to the outfield, a position the youngster is more familiar with.

Source: Nikkan Sports 1/24/2013

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Sports Hochi notes that the Buffaloes do not plan on posting Itoi after this season and perhaps not even after the next season.

Said team official Yoshio Murayama, "We need to sit down and talk to [Itoi], but we first want him to work hard to reach the top with our team.  We also do not think he will [ask to be posted] after his first year."

A different team official added, "There is nothing in his contract that says we have to post him.  Even if he wants to be posted, there is no way the organization will approve after the first year."

Source: Sports Hochi 1/24/2013, Sports Hochi Osaka 1/24/2013

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Sponichi notes that the trade likely came to fruition after the Fighters looked to the future and saw what might happen to the team if they did not trade Itoi, especially after he said he wanted to be posted.

Factoring into this was their policy of not wanting to force players to stay with their organization, whether it be through free agency or via posting.  That meant having to post Itoi after the season and losing another player without gaining any able bodies in return.

Source: Sponichi 1/24/2013

The Nippon Ham Fighters and Orix Buffaloes have pulled off a two for three swap.

Heading to the Buffaloes: Yoshio Itoi (31), Tomoya Yagi (29)

Heading to the Fighters: Hiroshi Kisanuki (32), Keiji Obiki (28), Shogo Akada (32)

Source: Nikkan Sports 1/23/2013, Daily Sports 1/23/2013, Sports Hochi 1/23/2013, Sponichi 1/23/2013, official announcement (Orix), official announcement (Nippon Ham)

Yoshio Itoi (31) has informed the Nippon Ham Fighters that he wants to be posted as soon as possible.  It will not happen this winter, but could happen as early as after the 2013 season.

Outside of getting posted, the only other way Itoi can head to the US is if he wants until he earns international FA option.  Since he got a late start, he will not earn that option until the 2017 season, at the earliest.  That would mean he would be able to go to the US as a free agent at the age of thirty-eight.

Itoi has yet to sign a contract for the 2013 season.  Whether or not he is trying to get something added into his contract about a posting period is unknown.  However, he is also the only Fighter that has not yet signed a deal for the 2013 season.

The Rangers are reportedly interested in Itoi.  He could fetch a total package of about thirty million US dollars over three years -- that would be about fifteen million in posting fees plus a three-year deal at about five million.

Source: Sponichi 1/23/2013, Sponichi 1/23/2013, Sponichi 1/23/2013

According to report by Sports Hochi, Yoshio Itoi (31) is planning to submit a request to be posted by the Nippon Ham Fighters.  The organization is not expected to comply.

Itoi has wanted to play in the Majors but is far from earning his international FA option because of a late start -- he was drafted by the Fighters as a pitcher out of college in 2003 and was officially converted to an outfielder in 2006.  Assuming he suffers no major injuries or does not experience any prolonged slumps that take him off the active roster, the earliest he can earn his international FA option is 2017, when he will be thirty-six-years-old.

The Fighters tend to be fairly good about supporting players and their wishes, but in this case, they may want to hold on to Itoi for another year or two while they groom another player to take his spot in the outfield.

Source: Sports Hochi 11/4/2012

Yoshio Itoi was evaluated at a hospital in Sendai today and was diagnosed with a left abdominal internal oblique muscle injury (bruising).  He will require two to three weeks for a full recovery.

Source: Nikkan Sports 8/26/2012

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UPDATE @ 4:57pm - Itoi was taken off the active roster today.  The Fighters in turn called up Kazuya Murata.