Rakuten Eagles Pitcher Masahiro Tanaka Might Miss Olympics

JAPAN - Rakuten Eagles right-hander Masahiro Tanaka, who is a member of the Japanese national team for the Beijing Olympics, will be removed from the active roster with inflammation in his pitching shoulder, team officials said Tuesday.

Tanaka will be deactivated on Wednesday, meaning he will likely miss the All-Star series starting July 31 and also making him a question mark for Senichi Hoshino’s squad for Beijing next month.

Tanaka complained of pain in his shoulder on Monday and was diagnosed at a hospital the following day. Team officials said the 19-year-old will have to refrain from throwing for about one week before a further assessment can be made.

According to Rakuten manager Katsuya Nomura, Tanaka felt a twinge in the shoulder around the seventh inning while pitching against the Softbank Hawks on Saturday at Kleenex Stadium.

“It might be difficult for him to compete at the Olympics,” Nomura said. “He will have to start from scratch to get a balanced pitching form.”

Tanaka, the 2007 Pacific League Rookie of the Year, is 6-6 with a 3.39 ERA in 18 starts, including four complete games.

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