MLB balls are rubbed with mud while sand is applied to NPB balls to reduce gloss before games. Japan’s Official Baseball Rules specify that the “umpire should inspect balls to confirm their ...

Shohei Ohtani plans to throw his first bullpen this weekend as he aims to return to the mound from a one-season pitching ...

Rintaro Sasaki is a teenage phenomenon who aspires to play Major League Baseball. He is a trailblazer embarking upon an unconventional path for a Japanese ball player.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts added that Japanese rookie Roki Sasaki could start the second of the two-game set.