Injuries to star pitchers Hiroya Miyagi and Atsuki Taneichi have shaken up the Nippon Professional Baseball landscape early in the 2026 season.
Miyagi, 24, has been one of Japan’s premier left-handed starters since his Pacific League Rookie of the Year campaign in 2020. He played a major role in the Orix Buffaloes’ three straight pennants from 2021-23 and became the ace of the staff after superstar Yoshinobu Yamamoto was posted to Major League Baseball.
After starring for Samurai Japan in the 2026 World Baseball Classic, Miyagi was named Orix’s Opening Day starter and made three starts before exiting his April 9 outing in the sixth inning with elbow discomfort. It was later reported that he would likely require Tommy John surgery, though he was seeking a second opinion and there has been no official word that he has undergone the procedure yet. Regardless, the Okinawa native is set to miss significant time and is likely out for the remainder of the season.
Chiba Lotte Marines right-hander Atsuki Taneichi, Miyagi’s WBC teammate who made a major impact out of the bullpen during the tournament, also suffered a devastating setback. After a delayed start to the regular season, Taneichi made his 2026 debut on April 17 and tossed seven scoreless innings, looking more ready than ever to anchor the team’s rotation following Roki Sasaki’s departure in 2024.
However, in the first inning of his very next start on April 25, he came off the mound awkwardly while trying to field a ball and ruptured his left Achilles tendon. The 27-year-old underwent surgery on April 30 and is out for the season.
In other pitcher injury news, Yokohama DeNA BayStars left-hander Austin Cox underwent internal brace surgery on his elbow in the United States and is done for the season. The team hopes that right-hander Jon Duplantier, who has missed the past couple of weeks with upper-body discomfort, can return soon.
Yomiuri Giants righty Iori Yamasaki suffered a setback during a rehab outing and is expected to miss more time with a right shoulder injury.
Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks southpaw Livan Moinelo, the reigning Pacific League MVP, has yet to make his season debut after his arrival in Japan was delayed by travel issues in Cuba. He spent all of April ramping up and is expected to return in the first half of May.
Buffaloes phenom Shunpeita Yamashita has also yet to make his season debut after experiencing right elbow discomfort at the end of spring training. It is believed that the 23-year-old flamethrower will pitch at some point in the coming weeks or months, but the team has not provided an official timeline.
Among notable position players, Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters outfielder Shun Mizutani has been sidelined since April 20 with a left wrist fracture, Saitama Seibu Lions outfielder Masayuki Kuwahara has been out since April 21 with a left hamstring strain, BayStars second baseman Shugo Maki has been out since April 24 with a right hamstring strain, and Hanshin Tigers outfielder Koji Chikamoto has been out since April 26 with a left wrist fracture.
Photo: SoftBank pitcher Livan Moinelo’s season debut has been delayed after he arrived in Japan late due to difficult travel from Cuba.
