Chiba Lotte Marines pitcher Naoya Masuda is seen at Zozo Marine Stadium in Chiba Prefecture in this file photo taken on May 6, 2022. (Mainichi/Ririko Maeda)
Chiba Lotte Marines pitcher Naoya Masuda, who is just two saves away from becoming the fifth player in Nippon Professional Baseball to achieve 250 career saves, fractured his left hand after punching a locker in August following a failed relief appearance, the Mainichi Shimbun has learned.
The finding comes after a team spokesperson stated on Sept. 6 that the 35-year-old right-handed pitcher, “has been experiencing upper body conditioning issues, and the medical team’s opinion is that a return this season would be difficult.”
According to multiple sources, the injury occurred on Aug. 19, when the team went up against the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles at Zozo Marine Stadium in Chiba Prefecture. Masuda took the mound in the ninth inning with a one-run lead but allowed a walk and uncorked a wild pitch, putting a runner on third with two outs. Ryosuke Tatsumi then got a game-tying hit, resulting in a failed save. After walking the next batter, Masuda was replaced.
Immediately afterward, Masuda punched a locker, fracturing the back of his left hand. He underwent surgery and is expected to take several months to recover. The next day, he was removed from the active roster, postponing his chance to reach 250 saves until next season.
Reaching 250 saves is one of the criteria for a pitcher to enter the Nippon Professional Baseball Golden Players Club (Meikyukai) as a sign of their top performance. By injuring himself just shy of this major milestone, Masuda has ended up flinging away the rest of the season.
(Japanese original by Koichi Ogino, Osaka Sports News Department, and Daisuke Makino, Tokyo Sports News Department)