# Nippon Professional Baseball roster changes

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/nippon-professional-baseball-roster-changes
> Updated: 2026-09-29T03:08:15.000Z. Sources: 7. Developments: 2.

In late September 2026, Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) teams began making significant changes to their rosters. Initially, the Saitama Seibu Lions removed pitcher Yamato Fuji from the active roster following his professional debut, potentially utilizing an infectious disease exception for re-registration. Simultaneously, the Orix Buffaloes removed pitchers Anderson Espinoza and Andres Machado from their active rosters, with Manager Mamoru Kishida noting the decision followed discussions with the players after their exceptional seasonal performances.

As the season concluded, a broader wave of player releases was announced across several clubs. The Yokohama DeNA BayStars released numerous players, including former first-round draft pick Shintaro Fujinami and Kenta Kozono. The Tokyo Yakult Swallows also announced the release of six players, including pitcher Reito Taguchi. Additional notifications of player releases were issued by the Hanshin Tigers and the Chunichi Dragons.

## Claims

- The six players released are Shohei Numata, Reito Taguchi, Koyo Aoyagi, Chuki Hasegawa, Sho Yamanobe, and Tatsunori Negishi. (corroborated by 3 sources)
- Koyo Aoyagi joined the team in July 2025 following a minor league stint with the Philadelphia Phillies. (corroborated by 2 sources)
- Koyo Aoyagi won the most wins and highest winning percentage titles in both 2021 and 2022 while with Hanshin. (corroborated by 2 sources)
- All six released players have expressed a desire to continue playing professionally. (single source)
- Reito Taguchi recorded 33 saves and a 1.86 ERA during the 2023 season. (single source)
- Sho Yamanobe was transferred to Yakult in May 2025 through a cash trade. (single source)

## Timeline

### 2026-09-29: NPB teams announce major player releases including Fujinami and Taguchi

Several NPB teams, including Yokohama DeNA BayStars and Yakult Swallows, have announced major player releases, including former first-round picks Shintaro Fujinami and Reito Taguchi.

7 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/yakult-swallows-release-six-players-including-koyo-aoyagi-and-reito-taguchi

### 2026-09-27: NPB players Yamato Fuji, Anderson Espinoza, and Andres Machado removed from active rosters

NPB updates include the Saitama Seibu Lions removing pitcher Yamato Fuji from the roster and the Orix Buffaloes de-registering standout pitchers Anderson Espinoza and Andres Machado.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/npb-players-yamato-fuji-anderson-espinoza-and-andres-machado-removed-from-active-rosters

---
Cite as: Nippon Professional Baseball roster changes. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/nippon-professional-baseball-roster-changes