Nippon Professional Baseball is considering implementing sanctions against batters who make swings considered dangerous, after the serious accident that left a referee unconscious during a game played in Tokyo.
The incident occurred on April 16 when umpire Takuto Kawakami received a severe blow to the head after an accidental swing by Venezuelan José Osuna, a player for the Tokyo Yakult Swallows.
According to Japanese media, Kawakami, 30, remains hospitalized in intensive care and has not yet regained consciousness after undergoing emergency surgery.
The accident generated strong concern within Japanese baseball and opened a debate about the safety of umpires behind the plate. According to reports from the newspaper Asahi Shimbun, the NPB is studying introducing regulations that would allow players to be warned or even expelled whose swings pose a risk to officials or rivals.
The new rule could go into effect before the current season ends.
After the accident, Osuna used his social networks to publicly apologize for what happened.
“I’m very sorry for what happened today when my bat hit the main umpire. I hope he’s okay, I’m really sorry,” the Venezuelan wrote in X.
As a first immediate measure, the NPB approved just two days after the incident a mandatory rule for all referees to wear protective helmets during matches. Kawakami was wearing a face mask and baseball cap at the time of impact, but not a full helmet.
The case has sparked intense debate about security measures in Japanese professional baseball and could lead to historic changes within the league.
