Baseball: Higashihama returns to start Game 1 against Eagles

SoftBank Hawks right-hander Nao Higashihama will return to active duty on Wednesday after three weeks on the sidelines to start Game 1 of the Pacific League Climax Series.Higashihama tied for the Pacific League lead with 16 wins, but hasn't pitched on the first team since Sept. 23 due to lower back stiffness. In the meantime, however, he has been tuning up in instructional league games."I'll trust in my teammates and I try to put my soul into each and every pitch," he said Tuesday at Yafuoku Dome, a day before he is slated to pitch against the Rakuten Eagles."They have that core of foreign …READ FULL ARTICLE