Kyuji Fujikawa (forearm) will begin a rehab assignment Sunday at Triple-A Iowa.

He's scheduled to throw 25 pitches in his first game since being place on the disabled list. If he can avoid setbacks, Fujikawa should rejoin the Cubs within the next 5-7 days. He'll initially serve as a setup man to new closer Kevin Gregg

Kyuji Fujikawa (forearm) threw his second successful bullpen session on Thursday morning.

If he wakes up on Friday with no abnormal pain or discomfort, Fujikawa will likely be sent to Triple-A Iowa over the weekend to begin making minor league rehab appearances. The right-hander landed on the disabled list April 14 with a right forearm strain. He should be back in the Cubs' bullpen within the next several days to serve as a setup man for new closer Kevin Gregg.

Kyuji Fujikawa (forearm) threw 32 pitches in a bullpen session Monday.

Fujikawa is scheduled to throw another bullpen session Thursday and assuming all goes well, he should begin a minor league rehab assignment Sunday with Triple-A Iowa. Kevin Gregg has found his way back into fantasy relevancy over the past week, but Fujikawa could wind up in the closer role before long.

Kyuji Fujikawa (forearm) threw a bullpen session on Friday, his first since being placed on the disabled list with a strained right forearm.

Cubs manager Dale Sveum has already indicated that Fujikawa will make two minor league rehab appearances before returning to the Cubs' bullpen. With all of the issues that they have had closing out games, it appears highly likely that Fujikawa will resume his duties as the team's primary closer. If any owners panicked and cut bait with him in shallower mixed leagues, he's certainly worth the add.

Kyuji Fujikawa (forearm) has yet to throw a bullpen session.

Fujikawa was placed on the disabled list earlier this month with a sprained right forearm and is currently throwing on flat ground from a distance of 135 feet. It's not clear when he'll be ready for a minor league rehab assignment. Cubs manager Dale Sveum plans to play the matchups with save chances for now.

Kyuji Fujikawa (forearm) played catch from a distance of 75 feet on Friday.

It was his first time throwing since he was placed on the disabled list last week with a sprained right forearm. Fujikawa will likely require a brief minor league rehab assignment, but he should be ready to return right around when he's first eligible. The Cubs are using a closer-by-committee right now, but Fujikawa should get the job back once he's back to full health.

Cubs placed RHP Kyuji Fujikawa on the 15-day disabled list with a sprained right forearm.

With Fujikawa sidelined, the Cubs will go with a closer by committee, with Carlos Marmol not expected to be part of the mix. James Russell and Shawn Camp should see the majority of save opportunities based on game situations. Fujikawa suffered the injury after giving up a blown save in Friday's win over the Giants.

Kyuji Fujikawa suffered a blown save, only to end up with a win, after giving up three runs in the ninth Friday against the Giants.

Things could have worked out differently: Pablo Sandoval's bloop single to right may well have been caught if the Cubs hadn't been playing a no-doubles defense and Hunter Pence would have hit into a game-ending double play if Starlin Castro hadn't been slow to get it started. That said, Fujikawa wasn't all that impressive today, especially on the splitter he left up to Brandon Belt for a game-tying double. The closer's role is his for now, but he hasn't built up much job security yet.

Kyuji Fujikawa recorded his second save of the season and first since being named closer in the Cubs' 6-3 win over the Brewers on Tuesday.

It was a reassuring outing for Fujikawa, who entered with an 11.57 ERA. The 32-year-old struck out two and pitched around an error to close it down, going through the heart of the Brewers order in the process. If there was any hesitation to grab him based on his shaky outings in the earlygoing, there should be none now.

Kyuji Fujikawa will replace Carlos Marmol as the Cubs' closer.

It's not surprising that Marmol has been replaced, but it's a little surprising Fujikawa has been given the job outright after he was knocked around on Saturday. Still, it's a move that needed to be made. Fujikawa should obviously be scooped up in leagues where he's still available.

Kyuji Fujikawa allowed three earned runs in one inning of work Saturday in a loss to the Braves.

Fujikawa walked a batter and gave up four hits in the eighth inning, then sat in the dugout as Carlos Marmol allowed two more runs in the ninth to blow the Cubs' big lead. The Cubs will probably keep rolling with Marmol as their closer unless Fujikawa begins pitching better. Chicago's bullpen is a mess right now for fantasy purposes.

According to Carrie Muskat of MLB.com, Kyuji Fujikawa said Saturday that he wasn't aware of any legal issues surrounding incumbent closer Carlos Marmol, and wasn't thinking about taking over as the Cubs closer at some point.

Fujikawa added, "My job is to get outs and as I do that, I'll try to make it a tougher decision for the coaches to make." With Marmol's legal troubles, combined with the fact that he struggled last season and that the Cubs have already tried to trade him once this offseason (in the Dan Haren deal that fell through), look for the 32-year-old Japanese right-hander to be pitching in the ninth inning at some point in 2013.

Cubs signed RHP Kyuji Fujikawa to a two-year, $9.5 million contract.

Fujikawa will be introduced at a press conference Friday, but he's obviously already passed his physical in order to make his deal official. The Japanese import posted a 1.77 ERA and 11.8 K/9 across 12 seasons of Nippon Professional Baseball. Although the Cubs plan to start next season with Carlos Marmol as their closer, Fujikawa will be a popular fantasy selection for those speculating for saves.

Japanese reliever Kyuji Fujikawa is expected to take a physical with the Cubs soon, and a deal could be finalized by next week.

Fujikawa is reportedly getting a two-year, $9.5 contract from the Cubs. It's not clear at this point whether the Japanese import would be used as the team's closer or help set up for Carlos Marmol. Fujikawa posted a 1.77 ERA and 11.8 K/9 across 12 seasons of Nippon Professional Baseball.

FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal reports that Kyuji Fujikawa is getting a two-year, $9.5 million deal from the Cubs.

It's quite a bit of money for a rebuilding team to be giving to a reliever, but Fujikawa should be able to finally provide a steady presence at the back end of the Cubs' bullpen. The 32-year-old from Kochi, Japan posted a 1.77 ERA and 11.8 K/9 across 12 seasons of Nippon Professional Baseball. His deal comes with a vesting option for 2015 based on games finished. If it doesn't vest, the Cubs will hold a $5.5 million team option.