Yakult’s Takatsu and Ishii Reportedly in Cold War Over Pitching Decisions Amid Team Injury Crisis

Unable to hide his anxiety as injuries pile up

Since the start of the season, a string of injuries has plagued the Yakult Swallows, and behind the scenes, a kind of cold war is said to be unfolding within the organization. Manager Shingo Takatsu (56), who leads the first team, is reportedly clashing with other members of the coaching staff.

“Since taking over as manager in 2020, Takatsu has led the team to two league championships, but in the other three seasons, they’ve finished in the lower half of the standings. Now, with Tsuyoshi Kinugasa, the owner who had long supported and highly valued Takatsu, having passed away, it’s said that unless the team finishes in the upper half this season, his resignation would be inevitable. But with core players dropping out one after another since the season opener, the team has turned into a kind of ‘Yakult field hospital,'” said a former team player.

Currently, players like outfielder Yasutaka Shiomi (31), infielder Munetaka Murakami (25), outfielder Kazufumi Maruyama (25), last season’s hits leader infielder Hideki Nagaoka (23), and catcher Naoki Matsumoto (31) are all stuck in the minors for rehab and training.

“The team had been negotiating behind the scenes with the SoftBank Hawks to acquire infielder Richard Sunagawa (25), but talks fell through over the trade terms. On May 1, they managed to bring in infielder Sho Yamanobe (31) from Seibu in a cash trade, but it hasn’t done much to lift the team’s fortunes. Heading into the interleague games, the team’s losing streak continues to worsen.

The coaching staff has been requesting additional reinforcements, but the front office has been slow to act. There’s frustration building, with people saying, ‘At this rate, we’re really going to sink,'” said the same source.

With the team so short on reliable players, even Takatsu’s ability to steer the team is hitting its limits. His growing sense of urgency is affecting the rest of the coaching staff as well — and this is reportedly creating negative energy within the team. Another insider elaborated:

“There have been clashes between Manager Takatsu and first-team pitching coach Hirotoshi Ishii (47) over pitcher usage. Ishii wants to manage the pitching staff carefully, giving each pitcher adequate rest between outings to avoid overworking them. But Takatsu is strongly inclined to prioritize reliever Reito Taguchi (29), whom he deeply trusts.

Lately, Takatsu has also been attempting to send in relievers who haven’t fully warmed up in the bullpen, reflecting increasingly desperate decisions. Ishii feels a responsibility to protect the players and has become a kind of buffer against these choices. But since Takatsu himself was a long-time closer during his playing days, he tends to look at relievers with an unyieldingly strict perspective, thinking ‘They should be able to handle this much.'”

Despite his misgivings, Ishii continues to perform his duties quietly and diligently.

“He knows the Takatsu regime doesn’t have much time left, so he’s trying to avoid escalating the situation. Even last year, Takatsu had a falling-out with then-first team pitching coach Tomohito Ito (54) over pitcher usage. Ito was reassigned this season to a second-team pitching coordinator role.

Ishii respects and is personally close to Ito, and it’s said that when he’s struggling with decisions, he still goes to Ito for advice — something that surely doesn’t sit well with Takatsu,” said the insider.

With the team mired in last place, it seems like there’s no room for internal cold wars right now.