Van den Hurk’s next Ni-Gun start pushed back

After a successful start in the Japanese Minor League system, the next Ni-Gun start of Rick van den Hurk will be pushed back.

Since June 1, Van den Hurk hasn’t pitched a game at NPB level. First he was kept aside because of signs of fatigue. Since June 15, Rick is under control of several doctors in several cities, who have examined him due to a few ailments; nothing really serious but a bit nagging.

Last week Rick had a start in the Softbank Hawks Ni-Gun team and pitched three scoreless innings. His next Ni-Gun start would be tomorrow, August 17, but after a talk with manager Kimiyasu Kudo and  indicated that he had some concerns about his condition and progress.

The next Ni-Gun start will be in a week to ten days from now. If everything goes well, Rick may return to the active roster of the Softbank Hawks in early September.