The Rakuten Eagles announced on June 16 that Masataka Nashida stepped down as manager. Nashida submitted his resignation after the Eagles dropped their game against the Hanshin Tigers and fell twenty games under 500. Ichi-gun head coach/batting coach Yosuke Hiraishi will take over as interim manager on June 17.
Nashida took over as manager of the Eagles in 2016 and went 160-182-7 in 349 games (fifth place in 2016, third place in 2017, last place so far this year).
Source: Rakuten 6/16/2018, Daily Sports 6/16/2018, Nikkan Sports 6/16/2018, Sanspo 6/16/2018
[UPDATE 6/18 @ 2:29am]
A number of other changes were made to the coaching staff (no change in official titles):
Source: Sports Hochi 6/17/2018
0 CommentsZelous Wheeler hurt his left index finger (base of the intermediate phalanx) while attempting to steal second during a game against Hanshin at Rakuten Seimei on June 15. He was taken to a hospital in Sendai for tests and was diagnosed with an avulsion fracture. He could require about eight weeks for a full recovery.
Source: Sanspo 6/15/2018, Daily Sports 6/15/2018, Nikkan Sports 6/15/2018, Sports Hochi 6/15/2018
0 CommentsMasataka Nashida notched the 800th victory of his managerial career last night. He is the sixteenth manager in NPB history to reach 800 wins. He recorded his first victory on April 6, 2000.
Source: Sponichi 5/26/2018, Sports Hochi 5/25/2018, Nikkan Sports 5/25/2018
0 CommentsLouis Okoye was replaced by a pinch-runner after he hit a double to left-center in the sixth inning of a game against the Orix Buffaloes at Rakuten Seimei Park on May 22. He was removed from the game as a precaution because of tightness in his right thigh.
Source: Sports Hochi 5/22/2018, Sanspo 5/22/2018
[UPDATE 4/23 @ 9:48pm]
Okoye was examined at a hospital in Sendai today and diagnosed with an injury to his right biceps femoris that will require three to four weeks for a full recovery.
Okoye was taken off the active roster today.
Source: Sports Hochi 5/23/2018, Sponichi 5/23/2018, Sanspo 5/23/2018, Nikkan Sports 5/23/2018
0 CommentsKenji Tomura took a batted ball off his face during a game against the Orix Buffaloes at Rakuten Seimei Park on May 22.
Tomura surrendered a home run to Yuya Oda to lead-off the eighth inning. The next batter, Masahiro Nishino, hit a line drive back up the middle that stuck Tomura in the face, near the right side of his chin. He had to be taken off the field on a stretcher.
Tomura was rushed to a hospital in an ambulance. He was conscious.
Source: Daily Sports 5/22/2018, Sports Hochi 5/22/2018, Sanspo 5/22/2018, Sanspo 5/22/2018, Nikkan Sports 5/22/2018, Nikkan Sports 5/22/2018
[UPDATE 5/23 @ 9:40pm]
Tomura was re-examined at a hospital in Sendai today and diagnosed with a right mandibular angle fracture. He could require three to four months for a full recovery.
Tomura was taken off the active roster today.
Source: Sanspo 5/23/2018, Sports Hochi 5/23/2018, Nikkan Sports 5/23/2018, Sponichi 5/23/2018
[UPDATE 5/31 @ 10:44am]
The Rakuten Eagles announced on May 30 that Tomura had surgery on his chin at a hospital in Sendai on May 28. He will most likely need three to four months for a full recovery.
Source: Sanspo 5/30/2018, Nikkan Sports 5/30/2018, Sports Hochi 5/30/2018
0 CommentsJaphet Amador was taken off the active roster today. Rakuten officials told the media he was having problems with his left knee and was diagnosed with pes anserine bursitis in his left knee on May 12. The Eagles do not think it will too long to heal.
Source: Sanspo 5/13/2018
0 CommentsThe Rakuten Eagles announced today that they added Ikusei pitcher Yuya Kubo to their seventy-man roster. His uniform number will change from 091 to 91. His salary will not change (fifteen million yen).
Kubo pitched in twelve Ni-gun games this season and was 1-2 with a 3.86 ERA over 11.2 innings of work.
Source: Rakuten 5/5/2018, Sanspo 5/5/2018, Daily Sports 5/5/2018, Sponichi 5/5/2018, Nikkan Sports 5/5/2018, Sports Hochi 5/5/2018
0 CommentsThe Rakuten Eagles announced the following coaching staff changes:
The Eagles are currently in the middle of a seven-game losing streak. They have the worst record in baseball so far this year: 6-19-1 after twenty-nine games.
Source: Sports Hochi 4/30/2018, Nikkan Sports 4/30/2018
0 CommentsMilestones
April 21 vs Orix at Rakuten Seimei Park – Imae recorded the 100th home run of his career off Hirotoshi Masui in the ninth inning. He became the 286th player in NPB history to reach the milestone.
Imae hit his first home run off Yasushi Kamiuchi during the second inning of a game against Daiei at Chiba Marine on August 21, 2004.
Source: Sports Hochi 4/21/2018, Sponichi 4/21/2018, Nikkan Sports 4/21/2018
0 CommentsHiroaki Shimauchi was taken off the active roster after he suffered an injury while running the bases in the ninth inning of a game against the Softbank Hawks at YafuOku Dome on April 19. He was examined at a hospital in Sendai on April 20 and diagnosed with an injury to his right internal oblique muscle. He will most likely need about four weeks for a full recovery.
Source: Daily Sports 4/20/2018, Sports Hochi 4/20/2018, Sports Hochi 4/20/2018, Sponichi 4/20/2018, Nikkan Sports 4/20/2018
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