Japanese star Shohei Otani is slated to pitch for the first time this year, per a report from the Japan Times. That’ll come in Japan’s NPB, not the majors, but nevertheless has importance on the other side of the globe. As Otani ponders a move to the big leagues after the current season, MLB clubs will be watching closely. He has been held out of pitching duties due to ankle and thigh injuries; Nippon Ham Fighters skipper Hideki Kuriyama says he’ll bring back Otani slowly as he “build[s] up his pitch counts.”
Here’s more on some health situations from around the game:
- It seems that the Giants will welcome back trade candidate Eduardo Nunez heading out of the break. He’s slated to start a brief rehab assignment tomorrow, Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle reports on Twitter; the organization has already optioned outfielder Mac Williamson to open a roster spot, as Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area tweets. While it remains to be seen how far San Francisco will go in dealing away veterans, Nunez is a pending free agent who would seem better utilized by a 2017 contender.
- Also nearing a return to the Giants is ace southpaw Madison Bumgarner. He just turned in six strong innings at the High-A level in what appears to be his final rehab start, as Martin Gallegos of the Bay Area News Group writes. It seems that Bumgarner will make it back after about a three-month layoff following a shoulder injury suffered in a dirtbike accident earlier this season. While he won’t factor directly in the trade deadline, Bumgarner’s health is an important factor in San Francisco’s long-term roster and budgeting. There have long been suggestions of possible talks on a new extension for the postseason hero, and those could take place later this year if Bumgarner shows he’s healthy.
- The Mets are set to begin welcoming back some dearly missed players, as Marc Carig of Newsday reports. That includes star righty Noah Syndergaard, who is going to pick up a ball again in about two weeks, and closer Jeurys Familia, who’ll do so over the All-Star break. It also includes former star righty Matt Harvey, whose future remains murky. Interesting, pitching coach Dan Warthen says that doctors found significant weakness in Harvey’s right shoulder muscles. The current focus is on “building that back up,” says Warthen, though at present it’s unclear just when Harvey might be expected back.
Can’t wait to see what Otani can do in MLB.
Come to wrigley . I have season tickets
Sweet, thanks for the offer! It will be fun to see him no hit the cubbies.
There’s always a great chance he goes to the cubs.
Otani: ” MLB clubs will be watching closely.”
Phillies won’t be watching.
Oh wait….. it said “MLB clubs”
Can’t wait to see the Asian American community in Philly protesting out front of CBP wearing “42” jerseys.
Sweet comment bruh
Hahaha couldn’t have said it better myself
2B Tadahito Iguchi, OF So Taguchi, RP Chan Ho Park have all played for the phillies in the last 10 years. I’m not saying its a lot by any means, but dude, it’s happened before. Don’t forget that this new front office has only even brought in a handful of new MLB players and those players have been white, black, latin, nothing to suggest any kind of racial bias. There aren’t that many players in the MLB right now from Asia (they’re around, but not in any kind of huge numbers). Don’t try to make something out of nothing.
“2B Tadahito Iguchi, OF So Taguchi, RP Chan Ho Park have all played for the phillies in the last 10 years.”
ROFLOL!
Washed up Japanese and Korean players, two of whom were never anybody in MLB and none of whom got paid any serious money. Wavier wire guys.
What rumor have you seen connecting the Phillies to Shohei Otani? Were the Phillies throwing money at Tanaka when he came out of Japan? Dice-K? Ichiro?
There are zero rumors connecting the Phillies to any Japanese or Korean star looking to enter MLB…..EVER.
If Vegas posted odds for each MLB teams likelihood of signing Otani the Phillies would be last.
As a Mets fan, I am not going to give up on the season. However, I think trades should be made to help the club long term.
The Mets to get faster and younger, so they should move Duda and play Brown and/or Flores at first.
They should trade Cabrera and play Reyes and Rosario (Reyes as his mentor) at short..
Walker is too injured to have value. Play him when he’s healthy and ride out the year.
The Mets have six outfielders who could play daily. Cespedes, Bruce, Granderson, Lagares, Conforto and Nimmo.
Cespedes, Nimmo and Conforto aren’t going anywhere.
The Mets can keep Lagares as a pinch runner occasionally starting in Center field and coming in as a defensive replacement in the late innings.
Cespedes and Conforto stay (Without a thought).
However, Bruce and Granderson will be moved leaving Conforto and Cespedes to man the corner outfield spots.
The Mets need to get back major league center field talent. The Mets need to consider a three way trade for someone. McCutchen is intriguing but he’s in a walk year.. The Mets can get prospects for Duda, Cabrera, Bruce and Granderson and use them as chips to trade for a good Center-fielder. As goofy as this might be, I would offer the Angels Wheeler or Harvey and Rosario or Brown and other Blue-Chip top prospects (Two more) garnered from soon to be trades.