Today they received some unexpected good new from the team medical facility when Dr. Julian Carmona reported that Hiroyasu Osaragi’s timetable for availability was pulled up from late August or September at best to as early as July. “Hiroyasu is apparently a great healer,” manager Bill Inkster said as he brief the press as the team closed a series in Boise. “Dr. Carmona said he’s good to continue his work-outs and will probably be available to resume baseball activities early in July. It would be great to get him back for the last half of the season.”
Osaragi suffered a UCL tear and underwent Tommy John surgery late last August, and was thought to be lost for at least a year. He came to YS9 in a 2036 deal with San Fernando that sent Victor Guerra to the Bears, and since that time has been 25-15 with the Nine while posting a 4.78 ERA—not blazing, but relative to what the club is getting out of young Han-lee Kim right now, we’re talking lights-out kind of value. He throws four solid pitches and a wrinkle curve.
“We’d love to see him back,” said fellow starter Carlos Valle. “He’s a good guy.”