RHODES OUT FOR TWO MONTHS WITH BROKEN HAND

What had been a momentous season for Orix Buffaloes outfielder Karl “Tuffy” Rhodes took a turn for the worse when he suffered a broken hand May 13 after being hit by a pitch from Seibu’s Tomoki Hoshino during an 8-3 loss to the Lions. Rhodes, who was batting .327 with 11 homers in 32 games, joins first baseman Alex Cabrera on the Buffaloes’ sideline. Cabrera has a broken toe. In 2008, Rhodes and Cabrera combined to slam 76 homers and drive in 222 runs for Orix.


Earlier this season, Rhodes became the first import player to reach hit 450 career homers in Japanese baseball. Orix is in last place in the Pacific League with a 14-20 record after losing six games in a row through last Wednesday.

The Nippon Ham Fighters and Rakuten Eagles are battling for first place in the PL, with the Fighters leading the table at 21-13, one game ahead of the 20-14 Eagles. In the Central League, the Yomiuri Giants are a Japan-best 23-10-2, and hold a comfortable four-game bulge over second-place Yakult, who are 18-13.