Japanese infielder Norihiro Nakamura doubled in his first at-bat of the preseason on Saturday after joining the Los Angeles Dodgers' spring training camp after a one-week delay.
Japanese infielders Kazuo Matsui (left) of the New York Mets and Norihiro Nakamura of the Los Angeles Dodgers shake hands prior to their spring training preseason game in Port St. Lucie, Florida. The Mets won 6-4.
Nakamura, who was signed to a minor-league contract after leaving the Kintetsu Buffaloes, batted seventh in the lineup and hit a ground-rule double to left off New York Mets starter Steve Trachsel with two out and a runner on first in the second inning.
He grounded out to shortstop and struck out swinging in his other at-bats while showing some solid fielding at third base.
"It's a relief and I'll continue to try to show what I did in my career in Japan," Nakamura said of his first hit for the Dodgers.
Nakamura arrived in Florida on Tuesday after a visa delay kept him out of the first week of the Dodgers' camp in Vero Beach, Fla.
Mets second baseman Kazuo Matsui went 0-for-2. The Mets beat the Dodgers 6-4.
At Tucson, Ariz., Chicago White Sox rookie Tadahito Iguchi went 1-for-3 with a single to left, a day after producing his first preseason hit, in a 10-0 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks.
At Peoria, Ariz., Ichiro Suzuki singled and had a stolen base on a 1-for-3 day as the Seattle Mariners fell 5-2 to the San Diego Padres.
Elsewhere, Denney Tomori allowed three runs on three hits and two walks in the Boston Red Sox's 12-7 loss to the Minnesota Twins in Fort Myers, Fla. St. Louis Cardinals outfielder So Taguchi was 1-for-4 in a 3-0 victory over the Florida Marlins in Jupiter, Fla.