A couple of teams expected to be pennant contenders in Japanese baseball this season will have to patch up some holes after the loss of a key player due to injury and another who may have to play out of position.
The defending champion Fukuoka Softbank Hawks have been dealt a blow with the loss of closer Takahiro Mahara. He has undergone shoulder surgery and may be out for the season. This after three pitchers from the Softbank starting rotation left the club as free agents.
Hawks manager Koji Akiyama will likely call on setup man Brian Falkenborg to take over the closer's role as he did in 2011, when Mahara went out with an injury. In fact, Falkenborg notched 19 saves (same total as Mahara) and was listed among the Pacific League-leading closers, rather than in the setup category.