Ace right-hander Masahiro Tanaka returned to Japan Saturday from a short visit with major league clubs in the Los Angeles area.

The 25-year-old Tanaka presumably has met, along with his agent Casey Close, a number of big league teams who have shown interest in pursuing him through the new posting system. He whisked past reporters at Narita airport without speaking.

Tanaka arrived in the United States on Wednesday and underwent a medical exam, an apparent effort to alleviate any concerns of work overload from his time with the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles. ESPN.com reported on Thursday that Tanaka met with officials from the Chicago White Sox.