Veteran pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka to rejoin Lions: source

Daisuke Matsuzaka, who left the Seibu Lions to pitch in the majors 13 years ago, is in line to rejoin the Pacific League club, a source said on Saturday.

The 39-year-old Matsuzaka, who was named the NPB Comeback Player of the Year in 2018, pitched in just two games this year for the Chunichi Dragons and was released. The right-hander has a 114-65 record in Japan, with most of those results coming with the Lions, for whom he pitched from 1999 to 2006. He went 56-43 in the major leagues, mostly with the Boston Red Sox.

Matsuzaka returned to Japan in 2015 with the PL’s Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks, but appeared in just one game with them over the course of his three-year contract. He joined the Central League’s Dragons in 2018, and went 5-4 with a 3.74 ERA in 11 starts.

• Twitter
• Facebook
• LinkedIn

GET THE BEST OF THE JAPAN TIMES IN FIVE EASY PIECES WITH TAKE 5

LATEST BASEBALL STORIES

Astros, Red Sox try to look ahead in wake of sign-stealing scandal

Players from two teams at the center of baseball's sign-stealing scandal faced their fans on Saturday for the first time since the Houston Astros and Boston Red Sox ousted their managers amid the f...

Free agent Yoshihisa Hirano hoping to continue career in majors

Free agent right-hander Yoshihisa Hirano said Saturday he is seeking to continue his career in the majors. The 35-year-old is still without a contract with only a month to go until sprin...

Rule change helps Angels with Shohei Ohtani's pitching rehab

Two-way talent Shohei Ohtani can take pitching rehab assignments in the minors without losing his place in the Los Angeles Angels' major league lineup thanks to a rule change this season, Angels...