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| Height: 5-10
Weight: 183
Throws: R
Bats: S Born: Oct 23, 1975, Osaka, Contract: Signed though 2010 |
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| Profile | Player News | Articles | Split Stats | Game Log | Eligibility | Player Comparison |
| 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 |
| Player Notes |
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October 2, 2008 Team GM Ed Wade indicated that there is a chance Kazuo Matsui could have surgery in the off-season to repair a disc in his lower back, according to the Houston Chronicle. Our View:Matsui was limited to only 96 games in 2008 due to injuries. He has never played more than 114 games in a season and will turn 33 on October 23. |
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September 25, 2008 Kazuo Matsui was three-for-three on Thursday night and drove in three runs in the Astros' 8-6 win. Our View:Matsui has only driven in 33 runs this year in 93 games. |
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September 23, 2008 Kazuo Matsui singled and hit his sixth homer of the year in the Astros' loss to Cincinnati Tuesday. Our View:Matsui has been good when able to play, but it isn't really a surprise that he's managed to participate in just 91 games this season. |
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September 22, 2008 Kazuo Matsui was given a day off Sunday to rest his back, according to the Houston Chronicle. He played in five straight games after missing more than a month with an irritated disc in his back, and manager Cecil Cooper said, "He’ll get two days, and hopefully he can go the rest of the time or at least four or five more days. This is something that will probably happen with him in the future." Our View:Matsui is riding a four-game hitting streak, with three knocks in his last game (at Pittsburgh). He should be considered for lineups in NL-only leagues for the closing week of the season. |
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September 20, 2008 Kazuo Matsui went 3-for-5 with a run scored in Saturday's 6-4 loss to the Pirates. All three of his hits were singles. Geoff Blum's double was the Astros' only extra base hit of the night. Our View:Matsui has bounced back nicely from the irritated disc in his back, and should be considered for NL-only leagues heading into the final week of the season. He is riding a four-game hitting streak, with three runs scored over the span. |
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September 19, 2008 Kazuo Matsui was in the starting lineup for the second straight day Thursday, but is not expected to play a full game for at least a few more days while still recovering from an irritated disc in his lower back, according to the Houston Chronicle. Our View:The team, namely manager Cecil Cooper, does not believe he can handle a full nine innings yet. He is still worth using in NL-only leagues, as he is 2-for-7 with one run scored over his last two games. |
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September 18, 2008 Kazuo Matsui returned to the starting lineup Wednesday for the first time since August 12, according to the Houston Chronicle. He had been dealing with an irritated disc in his lower back. Our View:He believes he is at 80 percent, and went 1-for-3 against Florida. Matsui was performing well in August prior to going down, as he registered multiple hits in four of 12 games. He is worth consideration for NL-only leagues again. |
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September 10, 2008 Kazuo Matsui, out since August 13th (irritated disk in his lower back), received an injection on Wednesday, according to the Astros Official Website. There was no timetable given for his return, but the team is fairly certain it will be soon. Our View:Matsui was hot when he was shut down hitting .313 over his last 28 games before the injury. At this point it would be tough to expect him to flash the wheels often even when activated, so it's best to count on someone else the rest of the way. |
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September 7, 2008 The Houston Chronicle reports Matsui is unlikely to be available until Monday due to an irritated disk in his back that has kept him out since mid-August. Our View:It is at least a good sign that we know when he will return. Matsui owners should look into activating him this week. |
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September 2, 2008 Kazuo Matsui was activated from the 15-day disabled list on Tuesday. The second baseman was rehabbing a back injury. Our View:Mark Loretta will continue to start at second base, but Matsui will be available for spot duty if needed. |
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September 2, 2008 Kazuo Matsui participated in pre-game drills Monday, including taking batting practice on the field, but skipper Cecil Cooper said his ailing back will keep him out until at least the weekend series in Colorado, according to the Houston Chronicle. Cooper said, "He’s not as good as Saturday. We’re still going to play it day-by-day, but hopefully by the weekend or late in the week. He’s probably out for this series." Our View:Matsui has a shot to return by the end of the week, but should be left out of fantasy lineups. His speed could be compromised when he comes back, which is where he holds most of his fantasy value with 19 stolen bases. |
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August 28, 2008 Kazuo Matsui hit some soft toss in the batting cage with hitting coach Sean Berry on Wednesday and did some side-to-side agility drills, according to the Houston Chronicle. His back ailment is getting better, but he still isn’t expected to be activated from the DL until Monday in Chicago at the earliest. Matsui said, "That’s the plan to be able to play on Monday. The only concern is my speed and how much I’ll be able to run." Our View:It looks like he should be back at some point next week, but his speed could be compromised, which is where he holds most of his fantasy value with 19 steals. |
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August 26, 2008 Kazuo Matsui (irritated disc) would be eligible to be activated from the DL on Thursday, according to the Houston Chronicle. But Manager Cecil Cooper isn't sure if he will activate him until rosters expand Monday. Cooper said, "Thursday’s his day, but I kind of doubt it. Probably Monday, if I had to pick a day." Our View:Fantasy owners in NL-only leagues should pencil him back into the lineup for next week. He is hitting .285 with 49 runs scored and 19 stolen bases over 85 games. |
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August 16, 2008 The Astros have placed second baseman Kazuo Matsui on the 15-day DL due to an irritated disc in his back, the Sports Network reports. Our View:The Astros have many of options at second, beginning with Mark Loretta and David Newhan. Those two could platoon while Matsui is out. |
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August 16, 2008 There is a chance that Astros second baseman Kazuo Matsui will be placed on the disabled list if the soreness in his back does not improve soon, according to the Houston Chronicle. Our View:Matsui has missed three straight games, and should his pain persist over the weekend, he'd likely be put on the DL. David Newhan has started in Matsui's place twice, but has no fantasy value. |
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August 15, 2008 Kazuo Matsui was out of the Astros' lineup for his second straight game Thursday due to a sore lower back, according to the Houston Chronicle. Our View:An MRI revealed no structural damage, and manager Cecil Cooper expects him to play as early as today. Cooper noted that he planned on giving Matsui the day off Thursday even before he got hurt. |
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August 14, 2008 Kazuo Matsui was out of the starting lineup Wednesday due to a stiff back, according to the Houston Chronicle. Our View:Matsui likely won’t return to the Astros' lineup until Friday against the Diamondbacks, at the earliest. |
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August 13, 2008 Kazuo Matsui is still out due to a sore back, and it is unknown if he will be ready to play this weekend during the Astros series versus Arizona, according to MLB.com. Our View:Matsui is a decent fantasy option due to his stolen base potential, so if you have him in your lineup, be sure to monitor his situation. He has had a sore back from time to time throughout his career, so it's not likely a serious injury. |
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August 12, 2008 Kazuo Matsui had to leave tonight's game against the Giants due to a sore back, according to Astros.com. Matsui exited the game after the second inning. Our View:No official word yet on how long Matsui will be out, though the injury is not thought to be very serious. |
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August 10, 2008 Kazuo Matsui went 2-for-5 with a double, RBI and stolen base to help the Astros pummel the Reds 13-4. Our View:Matsui is hitting .333 in August, and surprisingly, he has three home runs in the month as well. He will give you a decent average and stolen base total, making him a good play in all fantasy leagues. |
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August 2, 2008 Kazuo Matsui went 2-for-5 with an RBI in Saturday's 5-4 win over the Mets. He hit a triple and a solo home run. Our View:Matsui is hot as he homered in back-to-back games, and extended his hitting streak to nine games. He is worth starting in NL-only leagues for the upcoming fantasy week. |
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July 23, 2008 Kazuo Matsui had a hit, knocked in a run, and scored three times for the Astros. Matsui also stole his 17th base while walking three times. Our View:Matsui was in the leadoff spot today with Michael Bourn hitting second (he had two hits and stole a run). Bourn still isn't suited to hit at the top of the order at this time, but Matsui is a fine top of the order replacement for the Astros. |
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July 9, 2008 Kazuo Matsui was activated from the 15-day disabled list and was back in the starting lineup Wednesday night against the Pirates. Pitcher Chad Reineke was optioned to triple-A Round Rock to make room on the 25-man roster for Matsui. The Astros second baseman is hitting second in the batting order. Our View:Matsui has been out since June 22 because of a strained right hamstring. |
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July 9, 2008 Kazuo Matsui has recovered from his strained right hamstring, and is expected to be activated from the DL today, according to the Houston Chronicle. He has missed 30 games this year due to injuries. Manager Cecil Cooper said he would likely go back down to 12 pitchers today. Our View:Matsui will be a welcome addition back to NL-only and larger mixed-leagues, as he was hitting .271 with 15 stolen bases and 31 runs scored over 57 games prior to landing on the DL. |
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July 5, 2008 Kazuo Matsui did some on-field work prior to Friday's game and remains on track to come off the DL on July 8, the Houston Chronicle reports. He is out due to a strained right hamstring and will not go on a minor league rehab assignment. Our View:Hopefully the oft-injured Matsui can stick around for a while after he returns. He has performed decently for fantasy teams when healthy this year. |
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July 2, 2008 The Houston Chronicle reports that Kazuo Matsui took batting practice and fielded ground balls on Tuesday. He is set to return from the DL when he is eligible on July 8th. Our View:Matsui has 15 stolen bases this season and that makes him worth consideration in fantasy circles. Kaz is very streaky. In 2007, he hit .309 and .354 during June and August but only .219 and .224 in July and September. |
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June 24, 2008 The Astros placed Kazuo Matsui on the DL Tuesday with a strained right hamstring, according to the Houston Chronicle. Matsui was injured in Sunday's win over Tampa. "I feel bad for my team," Matsui said through an interpreter. "Right now all I'm thinking about is coming back as soon as possible." David Newhan was recalled from Triple-A Round Rock to replace him on the roster. Our View:Matsui owners will take a hit in the stolen base department, but not really anywhere else. Mark Loretta will be the team's primary second baseman while Kaz is out. |
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June 22, 2008 Astros second baseman Kazuo Matsui has left today's game against Tampa Bay with a strained right hamstring, according to the Houston Chronicle. Our View:Matsui played six innings today and went 2-for-3. He grounded out to shortstop in his final at-bat in the sixth inning, and Mark Loretta took over at second base. The team believes the injury is not serious and are tentatively listing Matsui as day-to-day. |
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June 17, 2008 Both teams brought hot bats to the field tonight as the Orioles outlasted the Astros, 6-5. Houston was led by second baseman Kazuo Matsui , going 1-for-4 at the dish with his 11th double of the season to total three RBIs on the night. Our View:Matsui was hitting .341 through June coming in but had driven just one run home. |
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June 3, 2008 Houston put 10 hits on the Pirates this evening and needed each and every one of them pulling the 2-0 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates. Second baseman Kazuo Matsui led the way, going 4-for-4 (all singles) with two runs scored. Our View:Matsui was caught stealing for the third time this season and his numbers have slipped a bit coming into tonight, hitting just .259 through the month of May. This may give the jolt needed to get back on track. |
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June 1, 2008 Kazuo Matsui will get the day off on Sunday, the Houston Chronicle reports. Mark Loretta will start in his place. Our View:FYI for fantasy owners in daily transaction leagues. Matsui is not injured. |
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May 15, 2008 Kazuo Matsui returned to the Astros' lineup on Wednesday, according to the Houston Chronicle. He collided with outfielder Hunter Pence while chasing a bloop single hit by the Giants' Bengie Molina. Matsui took a blow to his left knee and slid into Pence's right shin. Matsui commented that he is fine. Our View:This is good news for the Astros, as Matsui racked up seven doubles over 24 games, with 21 runs scored and seven stolen bases. He has also drawn 13 walks. |
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May 7, 2008 The box score from Houston's 4-3 win over the Washington Nationals shows 2B Kazuo Matsui failed to garner a single hit, but that doesn't mean he wasn't a force. Matsui went 0-for-2 at the plate, but he garnered three walks and swiped two bags Our View:That brings Matsui to six stolen bases on the season. |
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April 29, 2008 Kazuo Matsui has moved into the leadoff spot in the Astros' lineup, due to Michael Bourn's 4-for-30 slump, according to the Houston Chronicle. Manager Cecil Cooper stated, "I like Matsui's game, period. He makes the pitcher work. He's not one of those one-, two-pitch out guys. If you take all his at-bats and total them out, he makes the guys throw strikes. We saw that when we played against him last year. At that spot, he can still do the same things that Michael Bourn does. He can steal a base. He's a veteran, and this is Michael's first time going through a slump. He's sometimes not sure of what he wants to do and how he wants to do it, and this takes the pressure off and lets him just hit and be himself." Our View:Matsui should hold the leadoff spot just until Bourn breaks out of his slump and gets on track. Bourn has a lot more speed, evidenced by his 13 steals over 23 games. |
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April 22, 2008 The Houston Astros won their third consecutive game for the first time this season, putting the Padres to bed 7-11 with several players at the top of the order getting the job done. 2B Kazuo Matsui hit 2-for-5 at the plate with is second stolen base of the year, his first double of the season, and two RBIs posted to set a strong pace as the Astros' leadoff hitter. Our View:It was Matsui's two-run single in the 8th inning that put his team in the lead and eventually the win. |
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April 18, 2008 Kazuo Matsui (anal fissure) will make his debut with the Astros on Friday night, this according to the Houston Chronicle. In order to make room on the roster the team designated Humberto Quintero for assigment, so they have 10 days to trade him, give him his release of place him on waivers. Our View:Matsui will look to provide speed and the ability to get on base on the top of the order to allow the team's big boppers the opportunity to produce a bushel of runs. |
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April 17, 2008 Kazuo Matsui will return to the starting lineup this weekend, this according to Rototimes sources. Houston skipper Cecil Cooper told sources that the Astros' second baseman will start Friday and Saturday against his old mates, the Roks. Our View:Kaz is coming off a .288 season where he stole 32 bases. He's a solid pickup and potential contributor in the speed category for managers in shallow leagues. The former Met and Rok shouldn't be available otherwise. |
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April 16, 2008 Kazuo Matsui is closing in on a return to the Astros from his anal fissure issue, this according to MLB.com. Matsui is targeting a possible return this weekend as he returned to playing on Tuesday night. "We'll see him in Houston on Friday," manager Cecil Cooper said. "If everything is a go on Friday, he'll play. He could also be a go on Saturday. It's about time for him to tee it up." Our View:Matusi will bring speed and the ability to get on base to the top of the Astros lineup and should be in a great spot to score a bunch of runs with some pretty big bats in the middle of that lineup. |
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April 13, 2008 Houston 2B Kazuo Matsui will not be able to join his team on the field of play until next Friday, according to MLB.com. Our View:GM Ed Wade spoke with reporters on Sunday morning and noted Matsui, listed on the team’s disabled list since spring training as he recovers from surgery to correct an anal fissure, was unable to complete his scheduled four-game rehab assignment and thus is not expected back for at least two more weeks. The Astros had hoped to have their second bagger back on the field for the start of a three-game set at Philadelphia on Tuesday, but now Matsui will be aiming his efforts towards stints with Triple-A Round Rock until he can round into form. |
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April 10, 2008 Kazuo Matsui worked out with the Astros on Wednesday at Minute Maid Park, after going 1-for-3 with a double in the first game of his rehab assignment on Tuesday at Double-A Corpus Christi, according to the Houston Chronicle. He played seven innings and commented that he felt good, and added, "It's been a while. I hadn't played in a game in a month and I got a little bit tired. Before I played, I knew that." Matsui will rejoin the Hooks on Thursday for a three-game series, and could potentially be activated as early as Sunday's series finale against the Marlins. Mark Loretta will continue to man second base until he returns. |
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April 9, 2008 Kazuo Matsui is going to begin a rehab assignment with Double-A Corpus Christi on Tuesday and could possibly return by Sunday, according to MLB.com. Astros GM Ed Wade stated, "Possibly by the Sunday game, he could be back. If not, if everything moves in a straight line, figure Matsui could be back at Philadelphia on Tuesday. We'll play it by ear." Mark Loretta is currently filling in at second base until he can return. |
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April 7, 2008 Kazuo Matsui, who is on the disabled list after problems with an anal fissure, is scheduled to go on a rehab assignment with Double-A Corpus Christi starting Tuesday. The second baseman is already eligible to return, and will do so once he successfully completes his rehab. |
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April 4, 2008 Kazuo Matsui will be checked out on Monday and could begin a rehab assignment at Double-A as soon as Tuesday, MLB.com reports. He is aiming to return on April 15. Matsui had surgery to repair an anal fissure this spring. |
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April 1, 2008 Kazuo Matsui took batting practice Tuesday for the first time since undergoing anal fissure surgery, according to MLB.com. "I've been making good progress," he said. "It's not going to be that long. Hopefully, as soon as possible." Matsui will likely play in a few rehab games before being cleared to rejoin the Astros, which could come as soon as April 15 when the team travels to Philadelphia. This is good to hear, since last week we heard Matsui's recovery was going slower than expected. |
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March 26, 2008 Kazuo Matsui has been recovering more slowly than expected and could be out until April 15, the Houston Chronicle reports. Under that timeline, he would miss 13 games. Matsui underwent surgery on March 17 to repair an anal fissure. Mark Loretta will likely start while Matsui is out. |
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March 20, 2008 Kazuo Matsui has been released from the hospital on Wednesday, according to the Houston Chronicle. Matsui underwent surgery Monday to repair an anal fissure, and will remain in Houston to be re-evaluated on Monday. He will begin the season on the DL, and could be cleared for light exercises next week. |
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March 18, 2008 It appears Kazuo Matsui will need more time to rest his bum than first expected, according to MLB.com. Following the always-enticing anal fissure surgery, recovery time was initially estimated to be two weeks. However, the Astros increased the timetable to two-to-three weeks, after which time Matsui will resume working out to prepare for the season. Withholding Matsui from the Opening Day 25-man roster opens a spot for another player fighting for a job in the show, such as infielder David Newhan or catcher Humberto Quintero, who would have to pass through waivers before the Astros could send him to the Minor Leagues. Tomas Perez is also an option. |
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March 17, 2008 Kazuo Matsui decided to go ahead and have anal fissure surgery on Monday, according to MLB.com. "We won't put him on [the DL] right away, but from the report from the doctors, it's a foregone conclusion he'll start the year on the DL," general manager Ed Wade said. He's expected to require 2-3 weeks to recover from the procedure, so he'll almost certainly miss the begining of the season. |
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March 16, 2008 The Astros announced Friday that Kazuo Matsui would undergo anal fissure surgery on Monday, but he sought a second opinion Saturday and is undecided about the procedure at this point, according to the Houston Chronicle. "I'm still thinking about whether to the operation or not," Matsui said through an interpreter. "I haven't decided yet." Part of the holdup might be that he'd miss a couple of weeks while recovering, which means he'd probably miss the season opener. |
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March 15, 2008 Kazuo Matsui had hoped to return to action this weekend but instead will undergo surgery Monday to repair an anal fissure, according to the Houston Chronicle. "His understanding, and there's no reason for us to doubt it, is it would be a week of inactivity and a week to get ready," GM Ed Wade said. "Right now, we're hopeful that that's the case." An anal fissure is torn skin near the anus, which obviously is painful. Matsui will be cutting it close for being ready for opening day, but it sounds like he shouldn't miss much time if he's not ready then. |
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March 14, 2008 Kazuo Matsui said he's feeling better and is aiming to return to game action this weekend, according to the Houston Chronicle. Matsui has been sidelined due to an anal fissure. |
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March 10, 2008 Kazuo Matsui will likely be sidelined for another 4-5 days due to an "anal fissure", according to a report on MLB.com. The Astros are counting on Matsui to a spark at the top of the order so they want to make sure he is 100% healthy by the time that game action roles around. |
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March 9, 2008 Kazuo Matsui will meet with a specialist concerning his ongoing problem with hemorrhoids, according to the Houston Chronicle. "He's going to see if there's another treatment we can do to accelerate the healing process," general manager Ed Wade said. "We're going to make sure we are doing everything to relieve the discomfort he's got." He left a game late last month due to the ailment but should be able to play while receiving treatment, so it shouldn't affect his preparation for the start of the season. |
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March 8, 2008 The Astros took a bit of a gamble based on one year of production, but thus far they are pleased with the production of leadoff hitter Kazuo Matsui . In the Astros' 10-12 loss to the Washington Nationals, Matsui finished 3-for-3 with two doubles, two RBIs and a stolen base. Matsui is competing with Michael Bourn for the top spot in the Astros' batting order. At this rate, Kaz seems right for the job. |
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March 1, 2008 Kazuo Matsui missed Friday's game due to what originally was diagnosed as hemmorrhoids, but further tests revealed the it was something else, according to the Houston Chronincle. "It wasn't what we thought it was, so he'll get a chance to play (today)," manager Cecil Cooper said. Um, well, we'll just leave that all up to your imagination as to what really was going on there, but it sounds like he should be back in action Saturday. |
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February 29, 2008 Kazuo Matsui was a late scratch from Friday's game because of a bout with hemorrhoids, according to the AP. He's expected to play Saturday. You'd think Matsui would've been better off just playing. It couldn't have felt very good sitting on that bench. Hopefully they gave him a donut. |