Masanori Ishikawa could end up skipping the March 10 charity game due to tightness in his left calf.

Ishikawa started feeling the tightness while running on Monday.  The injury does not appear to be serious at this point (he has not gone to the hospital), but the team does not want to risk turning it into something more.

===

Yoshinori Sato participated in a recording for the theme song for an NHK program on the Tohoku Earthquake/Tsunami today.

The Swallows closed out spring camp in Urasoe today.

===

Masanori Ishikawa took things slow during practice today due to tightness in his left calf.  Ishikawa tweaked the calf during practices on Monday.

Ishikawa probably will not travel with team to Sapporo for their exhibition game against the Nippon Ham Fighters on March 3.  His status for the charity game on March 10 is unknown at this point.

===

Yoshinori Sato has been testing cleats during spring camp that have one fewer spike than the version he used last season.  His next possible outings: an exhibition game against the Nippon Ham Fighters March 4 and an exhibition game against Hiroshima on March 11.

===

Through Monday, Ueda is 15-for-34 over nine games.

Tsuyoshi Ueda plans to change his intro music to Minmi's Are Yu Ready, which is the same music Norichika Aoki used.

===

The media learned on Sunday that Kentaro Kyuko might be ok for the start of the regular season.  Kyuko had surgery on his left hand (blood flow problems) in November 2011 and began pitching again during Ni-gun spring camp in Miyazaki.  If things continue to go well, he could pitch in a game some time in early March.

The news on Shingo Kawabata is not as good (TFCC injury): he probably will not be ready for opening day.

===

Through Sunday, Ueda is 13-for-31 through eight games.

Junji Ogawa had heard that Masahiro Tanaka (RAK) was scheduled to start Sunday's game against the Swallows and told reporters he was disappointed that the younger players on the roster missed out on a chance to face him after the game was rained out.

===

Shohei Tateyama's exhibition game start against the Rakuten Eagles on Sunday was rained out.  He will get to pitch in Monday's practice game against the KIA Tigers.

===

Tsuyoshi Ueda hit a homer in his third at bat on Saturday against the Hanshin Tigers. He was also caught trying to steal a base in the 7th inning.  On defense, he threw out Takashi Toritani at third on a single to center with a runner on first and one out in the 5th inning.

Masanori Ishikawa tried dropping his arm angle a little when throwing the shuto and slider during Saturday's exhibition game against the Hanshin Tigers and found that he was able to get some interesting movement on the pitches.

===

Wladimir Balentien did not take batting practice on Friday because of pain in his right elbow.

===

The Swallows plan to continue holding evening practices even after spring training ends (during March and throughout the regular season).

The players, not including veterans and foreign players, have gotten together at around 8:30pm on most nights during spring camp in order to work on their swings for about an hour.

===

Yoshinori Sato has been invited by NHK to participate in a group song recording for revitalizing northern Japan.

The Swallows worked out indoors today because of the rain.

===

Masanori Ishikawa is scheduled to start Saturday's exhibition game against the Hanshin Tigers.

===

Junji Ogawa hinted to reporters on Thursday that he can not afford to wait too long on Wladimir Balentien.  The Swallows currently have five foreign players which means Balentien could start the season at Ni-gun.

===

Some batting numbers through Thursday:

• Balentien is 1-for-14 over six games.
• Tetsuto Yamada is 12-for-31 over eight games.

The Ni-gun Swallows have the day off tomorrow.

===

Today's practice game against Fujii Juko (Industrial League) was canceled due to rain.

===

The team still has no timetable on when Kyohei Muranaka will pitch in a game.  Muranaka complained of tightness in his body during the previous block of spring camp and has been taking things slow since.

Muranaka did tell reporters on Wednesday that he planned to toss a bullpen session soon and that he was feeling ok.  Junji Ogawa was in no real rush and simply said he would be ok so long as Muranaka pitched in a game sometime during Urasoe camp.

===

Through Wednesday, Tetsuto Yamada is 9-for-27 with six RBI over seven games.

The Swallows' practice game against the Yomiuri Giants was rained out today.

===

The Swallows decided to send Kazuki Fukuchi back down to Ni-gun tomorrow after he was diagnosed with a minor strain in his right calf.

===

Kyohei Nakamura, Tatsuyoshi Masubuchi, Yoshinori Sato, and Katsuki Akagawa will be sponsoring eight seats (two a piece) along the first base side this season.  Additional details will be posted at the official team site when they become available.

===

Junji Ogawa told reporters on Tuesday that there was a chance Shingo Kawabata will not be ready for the start of the season.  Kawabata suffered a TFCC injury in his left hand and has been rehabbing at Ni-gun camp.  His recovery is taking longer than originally planned (he just recently started taking fielding practice) and the cold weather has not helped.

===

The Swallows announced the Domino's Pair Ticket pack today (two tickets + one medium-sized Domino's pizza for 7,400 yen).  The packs will go on sale beginning on March 3.

===

The Ichi-gun Swallows had the day of today.

===

Kazuki Fukuchi worked out at Urasoe Stadium today and is set to fully rejoin the Ichi-gun Swallows tomorrow.

===

Orlando Roman did some workouts (weight training) on his day off today.  Roman has worked out on every off day so far during spring camp.

===

Through Monday, Tsuyoshi Ueda is 10-for-21 with five stolen bases over five practice games.

===

Yoshinori Sato is scheduled to pitch in a practice game against KIA on February 27.

Atsuya Furuta observed Urasoe camp on Monday and said the following about Yoshinori:

• he is on the right track with the adjustments he is making to his delivery
• he needs to use off-speed pitches more effectively; even Yu Darvish does not throw every pitch at 100%
• wants to see him pitch a full season

Furuta was responsible for drawing the winning ticket during the 2007 player draft (five teams selected him in the first round).

===

The Ni-gun Swallows had the day off today.

===

Kazuki Fukuchi worked out at Ichi-gun camp in Urasoe today.  Fukuchi had been working out at Ni-gun camp.

===

According to Nikkan Sports... The Swallows rotation could end up being: Masanori Ishikawa, Shohei Tateyama, Yoshinori Sato, Kyohei Muranaka, Tatsuyoshi Masubuchi, and Katsuki Akagawa.  The four foreign players spots could go to: Chang-Yong Lim, Tony Barnette, and Lastings Milledge.  But it is possible Orlando Roman could squeak in at the last minute.

Junji Ogawa told reporters on Sunday that Roman could win himself a regular season start during the team's opening series against the Yomiuri Giants (March 30 - April 1).

Roman will most likely get another chance to pitch during an exhibition game against Hanshin on February 25.

===

Through Sunday, 3rd round draft pick Wataru Hiyane had six stolen bases in five practice games.  If Hiyane cracks the opening day line-up, he will become the thirteenth rookie to do so in franchise history.  The last rookie to do it was Takahiro Araki in 2010.