FUKUOKA (Kyodo) Injury-plagued Softbank Hawks right-hander Kazumi Saito re-signed on a one-year deal Monday for a salary of ¥200 million — a drop of ¥50 million from this year.

Two-time Sawamura Award winner Saito, whose three-year contract will expire at the end of the year, underwent surgery to repair his right shoulder in January and failed to make any appearances for the top team for the first time since his rookie season in 1996.

"I'm still in the stages of rehabilitation. I still don't have a picture of the next few months but I'm just trying to get an idea as I continue with rehabilitation," said Saito.