Cubs put Japan's Fujikawa on injured list

CHICAGO (AFP) –

Kyuji Fujikawa of the Chicago Cubs pitches in the eighth inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates on May 23, 2013. at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Fujikawa was placed on Major League Baseball’s 15-day disabled list Monday for the second time this season with a muscle strain in his right forearm.

Chicago Cubs relief pitcher Kyuji Fujikawa was placed on Major League Baseball’s 15-day disabled list for the second time this season with a muscle strain in his right forearm.

The 32-year-old Japanese right-hander made his North American debut last month for the Cubs after spending 14 seasons with his homeland’s Hanshin Tigers and earning all-star honors four times in Japan.

Fujikawa was 1-1 with two saves and a 5.25 earned-run average over 12 relief appearances for the Cubs despite spending April 13 to May 10 on the injured list with what appears to be the same injury. He will have an MRI exam Tuesday.

“We’re cautiously optimistic that it’s going to be the same thing he had before,” Cubs general manager Jed Hoyer said.

The Cubs claimed pitcher Alex Burnett off waivers from Baltimore to replace Fujikawa on the roster. The US right-hander yielded three runs in 1 1/3 innings for the Orioles before being dropped from the active lineup last Thursday.

“Given Fuji’s injury, we felt it was the right thing to do and the right time,” Hoyer said.

Fujikawa was forced to leave Sunday’s 5-4 victory over Cincinnati in the ninth inning after feeling soreness while walking the Reds’ Joey Votto.