Yomiuri Giants star slugger Kazuma Okamoto will likely be out of action for an extended period after suffering a left elbow injury in a collision with the Hanshin Tigers¡¯ Takumu Nakano during Tuesday night¡¯s game at Tokyo Dome.
The two players crashed into each other as Okamoto attempted to make a catch at first base while Nakano was running down the line.
The Giants said Okamoto suffered muscle damage in his left elbow. Manager Shinnosuke Abe met with reporters shortly after his team¡¯s 7-1 loss and said Okamoto would likely be sidelined for a long time.
¡°I will do my best to return as soon as possible,¡± Okamoto said in a statement released by the team.
The play occurred in the top of the first with a runner on first base and no outs. Nakano laid down a sacrifice bunt, and Yomiuri¡¡third baseman Shunsuke Urata fielded the ball and fired it to first. The throw was slightly off target, and as Okamoto stretched out his arm to make the catch, Nakano slammed into him, sending both tumbling to the ground.
Okamoto was in obvious pain as the Giants¡¯ training staff attended to him near first base, and he left the field clutching his elbow.
After the initial silence when it became apparent that Okamoto was injured, the fans at Tokyo Dome reacted in a mix of surprise and worry when Yuto Akihiro jogged out of the Yomiuri dugout to replace Okamoto several moments later.
Nakano, also shaken up on the play, remained in the game.
Losing Okamoto is a big blow for the Kyojin.
The 28-year-old is batting .308 with eight home runs and 25 RBIs and is in the top three in the Central League in each category. He has also given the Giants flexibility in the infield, playing in 24 games at first base and 15 at third.
Okamoto, who has started all 32 games this season, has been incredibly durable throughout his career. He has played at least 140 games in six of the last seven seasons. The lone exception was the 2020 campaign, which was shortened due to COVID-19. Okamoto played in 118 of 120 games in that season.
He has also been consistent, hitting at least 27 homers each year since 2018.
It was a bad night all around for the Giants. The team committed four errors en route to losing for the third time in four games. The Giants have been outscored 17-2 in the first two games of the current series against the Tigers.
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