The interleague season is finished, the All-Star ballots have been tallied and Japan's blazing summer heat has begun to take hold.
Some of the underachieving Central and Pacific League teams are pushing the "reset" button, hoping to get on track, reverse their trend of lackluster spring play and move to enter the playoff races.
One way to do this is to bring in new foreigners prior to the deadline for signing non-Japanese players. The Chiba Lotte Marines and Yomiuri Giants have recently signed additional foreign help in an effort to give their offenses a boost as both clubs try to catch up with the leaders in their respective leagues.