Every NPB player on a first-team roster was deactivated on Thursday in one mass transaction. It was just a procedural move — because there are no games scheduled for the next 10 days — but many fans still got a kick out of the rare sight of the rosters emptying all at once in the middle of the season.
The roster clearing came a day after NPB wrapped up its first half.
The league’s All-Stars took center stage over the weekend, with the Central League winning Game 1 of the All-Star Series 5-4 on Friday and the Pacific League bouncing back with a 4-3 victory in Game 2 the next day.