The Tampa Bay Rays’ Hideki Matsui is expected to join the Durham Bulls this week.

Hideki Matsui is scheduled to arrive in Durham on Tuesday afternoon, May 15, 2012, and, barring setbacks, will make his Bulls debut Tuesday night against Pawtucket.

RedSox right-hander Daisuke Matsuzaka is scheduled to start Thursday, May 17, 2012, against against the Durham Bulls.

Matsuzaka is continuing to rehab from Tommy John surgery and has made two rehab starts for the Triple-A Pawtucket team. He is scheduled to make two more, May 17 and May 22, before the organization moves him back into major league play.

Saturday Matsuzaka allowed five runs on five hits in 5 1/3 innings against Columbus.

As previously stated, Rays’ Hideki Matsui will also be in Durham this week, as he is expected to join the Durham Bulls Tuesday.

Due to the uncertainty of his arrival time, it is not known if he will play in the Bulls game Tuesday night.

After a long career with the Yankees and short stint with the Oakland A’s, Matsui signed a minor-league deal with the Rays on April 30 and has been playing for the Rays extended spring training team.

In spring training he is 8-for-18, including a home run Saturday.

The two Japanese stars could face off in Thursday’s game at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park.

• Keep up with the latest news about Dice-K and Matsui at the Bulls on www.durhambulls.com and WRALSportsFan.com.
• Get an insider’s take on the potential match-up on George Habel’s Note To Self blog.

Thanks to WRALSportsFan.com’s Erin Summers for this capcom story & to the Durham Bulls for this capcom photo.