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On April 16, a bat released by Osuna struck umpire Kawakami (right).
On May 11, the 12 professional baseball teams and Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) held an executive committee meeting in Tokyo, approving new operational guidelines that allow for warnings or ejections for batters’ dangerous swings. The policy takes effect on May 12.
The rule applies when a batter fails to maintain control of the bat during a swing, releasing it prematurely—including cases of the bat slipping out of the hands mid-swing. A “dangerous swing” is defined as any action where the bat flies toward players on the field, umpires, ball boys, dugouts, camera positions, or the stands, posing a risk to others.
Penalties come in three levels. If a dangerous swing occurs without contacting anyone and the bat simply rolls on the ground, a warning is issued. If the same batter commits a second dangerous swing in the same game, ejection follows. Additionally, if the entire bat is directed toward another person and makes direct physical contact, or if it flies into a dead-ball area such as a dugout, camera well, or stands, the batter is immediately ejected, even on the first offense.
Seiji Yamakawa, the 60-year-old chairman of the rules committee, explained the intent: “The goal is not to impose penalties, but to raise batters’ safety awareness—there is a strong emphasis on caution.”
Furthermore, if a bat that comes loose along with the swing interferes with a defender’s fielding, Official Baseball Rule 5.09(a)(8) will be applied, resulting in the batter being called out, accompanied by a warning. If the bat directly strikes a fielder, immediate ejection follows.
However, cases where a batter tosses the bat after a bunt or accidental follow-through contact with the catcher or umpire are not covered by this policy. Still, during the meeting, concerns were raised about follow-throughs that hit the catcher, and this issue will continue to be reviewed.
Katsuhiko Nakamura, the 59-year-old secretary general of NPB, stated that the proposal was “approved unanimously,” marking an unusually fast approval process within about a month. The measure is not a revision of the baseball rules but will be implemented as an internal agreement (accord) among the 12 teams and NPB.
The background to this move stems from an incident on April 16 during the Yakult–DeNA game at Jingu Stadium. A bat that slipped from Yakult’s Osuna struck umpire Takuto Kawakami (30) on the left side of the head. Kawakami underwent emergency surgery and remains in treatment.
