Kyuji begins his second season with the Cubs after his first campaign was cut short due to an injured right elbow that necessitated Tommy John surgery in June ... prior to joining the Cubs, he pitched 12 seasons with the Hanshin Tigers in Japan's Central League... Appeared in 12 games for Chicago, going 1-1 with two saves and a 5.25 ERA (7 ER/12.0 IP), walking two and striking out 14... Named the Cubs ninth-best prospect heading into the 2013 season by Baseball America... In 12 seasons with Hanshin, was 42-25 with 219 saves and a 1.77 ERA (136 ER/692.1 IP) covering 562 appearances, all but 14 as a relief pitcher... Twice led the Japanese League in holds with 46 in 2005 and 30 in 2006... Twice led the Japanese League in saves with 46 in 2007 and 41 in 2011... Posted a 1.32 ERA or lower in four of his final five seasons with Hanshin... He won the Central League Most Valuable Setup Pitcher Award in 2005... Totaled 914 strikeouts and only 207 walks in 692.1 innings pitched, an average of 11.9 strikeouts and 2.7 walks per nine innings and a 4.4-to-one strikeout-to-walk ratio...While in Japan, allowed a total of 667 hits or walks in 692.1 innings for a career WHIP of 0.96.
2014
Opened the season on the 15-day disabled list while continuing to recover from Tommy John surgery and was transferred to the 60-day DL on 5/3...began a minor league rehab assignment on 7/6 and complied a 0.77 ERA (1 ER/11.2 IP) in 12 games/2 starts with the Rookie League Arizona Cubs (7/6-16), Low-A Kane County (7/17-20), and Triple-A Iowa (7/21-8/4)...was activated by the Cubs on 8/6 and issued runs in 4 of 15 games the rest of the season...retired 9 of 15 1st batters and permitted 6 of 11 inherited runners to score...opponents batted .327, .276 vs. RHB and .385 vs. LHB...had a 1.00 ERA (1 ER/9.0 IP) in 9 outings at Wrigley Field...opposition went 0-for-8 with RISP and 2 out.
2013
Kyuji's first season with the Cubs, and his first in Major League Baseball following 12 years in Japan, was cut short due to Tommy John surgery on his right elbow performed on June 11 by Dr. James Andrews... Went 1-1 with two saves and a 5.25 ERA (7 ER/12.0 IP) in 12 relief appearances for Chicago ... walked two and struck out 14... Made his major league debut, and earned the save, on April 1 (Opening Day) in Pittsburgh … came in with two on, two out in the ninth, protecting a two-run lead and retired Russell Martin to end the game... Became just the second Cub ever to earn a save in his major league debut, joining Todd Wellemeyer, who did so on May 15, 2003 against the Brewers... Named the team's closer, April 7, but landed on the 15-day disabled list, April 13, with a muscular strain of his right forearm... Made a rehabilitation appearance with Triple-A Iowa, May 5, tossing a scoreless inning … had his rehab assignment transferred to Double-A Tennessee and tossed 2.0 shutout innings (16 pitches total), May 8... Activated from the disabled list, May 10, and pitched a scoreless seventh inning that night in Washington... Went on to post a 1.17 ERA (1 ER/7.2 IP) in seven games following his D.L. stint... Left the game, May 26 in Cincinnati, with a sore elbow after 1.2 innings pitched … placed on 15-day disabled list, May 27, with a muscular strain of his right forearm ... transferred to the 60-day D.L., May 30, when diagnosed as a ligament tear, necessitating Tommy John surgery.
2012
In his 12th and final season with the Hanshin Tigers, Fujikawa went 2-2 with 24 saves and a 1.32 ERA (7 ER/47.2 IP) in 48
relief appearances...Recorded 24 saves in 27 opportunities.
...Limited hitters to a .207 batting average and a .278 on-base
percentage ... allowed just one home run.
...Walked 15 compared to 58 strikeouts in 47.2 innings pitched.
...Posted a 1.13 ERA (1 ER/8.0 IP) in eight games when pitching on no
days rest.
...Recorded a 1.04 ERA (2 ER/17.1 IP) in 18 relief appearances spanning April and May.
...Converted his final 12 save opportunities from July 10 through the end
of the season.
2011
Was 3-3 with 41 saves and a 1.24 ERA (7 ER/51.0 IP) in 56 relief appearances for Hanshin ... limited opponents to a
.140 batting average while striking out 80 and walking just 13...Averaged 14.1 strikeouts per 9.0 innings pitched.
...Surrendered just two home runs and seven extra-base hits in 179
opponent at-bats.
...Recorded a 16.1-scoreless innings streak from April 16-June 28,
spanning 18 appearances.
...Started the season having converted 36-straight save opportunities
from April 12-October 5.
2010
Converted 27 of 32 save opportunities for Hanshin, and compiled a 3-4 record with a 2.01 ERA (14 ER/62.2 IP) in 58
relief appearances.
...Had an ERA below 2.00 in three months: March/April (0.00), May
(1.80) and July (1.86).
...Tossed a season-high 2.0 innings of relief four times.
...Started the season with a 17.1-inning scoreless streak through May 9.
...Made one post-season appearance for the Tigers, allowed two runs in
2.0 innings of work against Yomiuri.
2009
Helped Japan to its second World Baseball Classic title prior to going 5-3 with 25 saves in 26 chances and a 1.25 ERA
(8 ER/57.2 IP) in 49 relief appearances for Hanshin.
...Averaged 13.42 strikeouts per 9.0 innings pitched, as he struck out 86
in 57.2 innings ... walked just 15 on the season.
...Was 0-3 with a 2.00 ERA (2 ER/9.0 IP) in May before going 4-0 with a
1.08 ERA (5 ER/41.2 IP) the rest of the season.
...Limited opponent to a .109 batting average (5-for-46) with runners in
scoring position.
...Logged a 21.0-inning scoreless stretch from August 16-September 29,
spanning 17 outings.
2008
Recorded a career-best eight victories in 63 relief appearances for Hanshin ... all told, was 8-1 with 38 saves and a
0.67 ERA (5 ER/67.2 IP).
...His 38 saves ranked second in the league behind Yomiuri's Marc Kroon.
...Recorded his 100th career save, September 25, against the Yokohama
BayStars.
...Struck out 90 hitters in 67.2 innings pitched, good for an average of
12.0 punchouts per 9.0 innings pitched.
...Took time away from Hanshin to pitch for Japan in the 2008 Beijing
Olympics.
...Pitched in three post-season games against Chunichi.
2007
Collected a career-best 46 saves and went 5-5 with a 1.63 ERA (15 ER/83.0 IP) in 71 relief appearances for the Tigers
... recorded over 100 strikeouts for the third-straight season, punching out 115 in 83.0 innings of work.
...It marked the first time in Japan League history that a reliever recorded
three-straight 100-strikeout seasons.
...His 46 saves tied the Japan League single-season record with the
Dragons Hitoki Iwase, who also turned the trick that season.
...Pitched in all 10 games of Hanshin's 10-game winning streak, August
30-September 9.
...The 10-straight team games pitched set a Central League record
for most consecutive games pitched by a hurler.
...In nine May contests, struck out 21 hitters while walking just one in
10.2 innings.
2006
Set a Japan League record with 38-consecutive scoreless appearances and set a Hanshin franchise record with
47.2-straight scoreless innings before both streaks were snapped against Hiroshima on July 12.
...Led the league with 30 holds while going 5-0 with 17 saves and a 0.68
ERA (6 ER/79.1 IP) in 63 relief appearances.
...Named to the Central League All-Star team for the second-straight
season.
...Struck out 122 hitters in 79.1 innings pitched, walking just 22.
...Limited opponents to a .165 batting average and just nine extra-base
hits in 278 at-bats.
...Missed two weeks in August due to a neck injury.
...Pitched for Japan in the inaugural World Baseball Classic, helping the
country to the title.
2005
Named to the Central League All-Star team for the first time in his career and as Hanshin's set-up man earned the
league's Most Valuable Player award for the month of June (3-0, 1.62 ERA, 16.2 IP).
...His 80 games pitched marked a Japan League record ... in all, went 7-1
with a save and a 1.36 ERA (14 ER/92.1 IP).
...Struck out a career-high 139 batters in 92.1 innings pitched, good for
an average of 13.2 strikeouts per 9.0 innings ... walked 20 on the year.
...Led the league with 46 holds, leading to Central League Most Valuable
Set-up Pitcher honors.
...Limited hitters to a .175 batting average and a .225 on-base percentage in his first full season with Hanshin.
2004
Began the season with Hanshin's minor league club, but pitched with the big league in the second half ... went 2-0 with
a 2.61 ERA (9 ER/31.0 IP) in 26 relief appearances for the Tigers.
2003
Spent a majority of the season with Hanshin's minor league team ... pitched in 17 games for Hanshin, making two starts,
and posted a 3.38 ERA (11 ER/29.1 IP).
2002
Made 12 starts for Hanshin and went 1-5 with a 3.71 ERA (28 ER/68.0 IP) ... struck out 64 and walked 30 ... earned
his first career victory, September 11 against Yakult (8.0 IP, 1 R).
2001
Pitched the entire season with Hanshin's minor league club.
2000
Made his major league debut at 19 years old with Hanshin with a relief appearance against the BayStars on March 31
... went on to make 19 relief appearances for the big league club, and posted a 4.76 ERA (12 ER/22.2 IP).
