Utility player Takuya Kimura will join the Yomiuri Giants from the Hiroshima Carp in exchange for outfielder Shinsuke Yamada, the two Central League clubs said Monday.
The 34-year-old switch-hitting Kimura, once a regular player for the Carp and a member of the bronze medal-winning national team in the 2004 Athens Olympics, has not made any top-team appearances, falling out of manager Marty Brown's plans.
The Giants were looking for a player who can play both infield and outfield at a time when third baseman Hiroki Kokubo and outfielder Yoshinobu Takahashi are sidelined with injuries.
Kimura has a .260 career average with 42 homers and 197 RBIs in 14 years.
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