After spending seven seasons in the United States as a fixture in the New York Yankees’ pitching rotation, right-handed starter Masahiro Tanaka has agreed to a deal with the Rakuten Golden Eagles which will send him back home.

Tanaka became a free agent this off-season after his seven-year $155 million deal with the Yankees expired. This was the largest contract ever given to a foreign player, and the veteran right-hander was thought to be a target for many MLB teams. But instead, he decided to follow his heart back to his native land.

The Golden Eagles are the team with which Tanaka became a star, as he became their best pitcher during his tenure with the team from 2007 to 2013.

Tanaka was the Pacific League MVP in his final season with the Golden Eagles and a six-time NPB All-Star for the team, which he helped lead to the Japan Series Championship in 2013.

He will return to his club as a hero and as the ace of its pitching staff after his 7 years in America ended with a 78-46 record, a 3.74 ERA, and a reputation as one of the most reliable righty starters in the game.

Tanaka will begin the new season with the Golden Eagles this summer.

The post Former Yankees SP Masahiro Tanaka to Return to Japan appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The New York Yankees suffered a big scare on Saturday after starting pitcher Masahiro Tanaka was struck in the head by a line drive in a live batting practice simulation at Yankee Stadium.

The right-handed pitcher was throwing to Yankees outfielder Giancarlo Stanton, who hit a line drive up the middle that hit Tanaka in the side of the head, knocking him down the ground for several minutes.

While Tanaka was able to eventually leave the field on his own two feet, he was admitted to a New York hospital for testing and put under observation for a possible concussion.

While the Yankees have yet to release the official diagnosis of Tanaka’s injury, he was released from the hospital on Saturday night and posted a message on Twitter stating that he was not seriously hurt.

Tanaka, who is expected to be one of the pillars of New York’s starting rotation this season, was at the Yankees’ stadium on Sunday though he did not participate in workouts.

The 31-year-old righty, who posted an 11-9 record along with a 4.45 ERA in the 2020 season, could be forced to miss the season’s Opening Day later this month depending on the evolution of his injury.

At any rate, both Yankees fans and baseball fans can at least take solace in the fact that the pitcher avoided a major injury.

The post Yankees SP Masahiro Tanaka Suffers Head Injury in Practice appeared first on SportzBonanza.

New York Yankees pitcher Masahiro Tanaka won’t enter the free agency and will remain with the team. This was confirmed by Tanaka in the statement released on Friday.

“I have decided to stay with the Yankees for the next three seasons. It was a simple decision for me as I have truly enjoyed the past four years playing for this organization and for the wonderful fans of New York,” – Tanaka said in the statement. “I’m excited to continue to be a part of this team, and I’m committed to our goal of bringing a World Series Championship back to the Steinbrenner family, the Yankees organization, and the great fans of New York.“

As the part of Tanaka’s seven-year, $155 million deal he signed in 2014, he had an opportunity to opt out of the contract after his fourth year. During his four seasons with the Yankees, Tanaka has 52–28 win-loss record, with 3.56 ERA and 639 strikeouts.

The 2017 season wasn’t the best one for Tanaka since he was 13-12 with a 4.74 ERA. He also allowed 35 home runs during the regular season, which represents a career high. He managed to come back in the postseason, with 0.90 ERA in three starts. It is important to note that Tanaka plays with a tear in the UCL ligament of his right throwing elbow since 2014.

While Tanaka is set to remain with the New York Yankees, manager Joe Girardi won’t. The team has decided to look for another solution on the managerial position and will part ways with Girardi, who was with the team for 10 years and brought the Yankees one World Series title during his tenure. He also managed to lead the Yankees to the American League Championship Series this year. Although the team will take some time before deciding on the new manager, possible candidates include bench coach Rob Thomson and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre manager Al Pedrique.

The post Masahiro Tanaka Will Remain With the New York Yankees appeared first on SportzBonanza.

After spending seven seasons in the United States as a fixture in the New York Yankees’ pitching rotation, right-handed starter Masahiro Tanaka has agreed to a deal with the Rakuten Golden Eagles which will send him back home.

Tanaka became a free agent this off-season after his seven-year $155 million deal with the Yankees expired. This was the largest contract ever given to a foreign player, and the veteran right-hander was thought to be a target for many MLB teams. But instead, he decided to follow his heart back to his native land.

The Golden Eagles are the team with which Tanaka became a star, as he became their best pitcher during his tenure with the team from 2007 to 2013.

Tanaka was the Pacific League MVP in his final season with the Golden Eagles and a six-time NPB All-Star for the team, which he helped lead to the Japan Series Championship in 2013.

He will return to his club as a hero and as the ace of its pitching staff after his 7 years in America ended with a 78-46 record, a 3.74 ERA, and a reputation as one of the most reliable righty starters in the game.

Tanaka will begin the new season with the Golden Eagles this summer.

The post Former Yankees SP Masahiro Tanaka to Return to Japan appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The New York Yankees suffered a big scare on Saturday after starting pitcher Masahiro Tanaka was struck in the head by a line drive in a live batting practice simulation at Yankee Stadium.

The right-handed pitcher was throwing to Yankees outfielder Giancarlo Stanton, who hit a line drive up the middle that hit Tanaka in the side of the head, knocking him down the ground for several minutes.

While Tanaka was able to eventually leave the field on his own two feet, he was admitted to a New York hospital for testing and put under observation for a possible concussion.

While the Yankees have yet to release the official diagnosis of Tanaka’s injury, he was released from the hospital on Saturday night and posted a message on Twitter stating that he was not seriously hurt.

Tanaka, who is expected to be one of the pillars of New York’s starting rotation this season, was at the Yankees’ stadium on Sunday though he did not participate in workouts.

The 31-year-old righty, who posted an 11-9 record along with a 4.45 ERA in the 2020 season, could be forced to miss the season’s Opening Day later this month depending on the evolution of his injury.

At any rate, both Yankees fans and baseball fans can at least take solace in the fact that the pitcher avoided a major injury.

The post Yankees SP Masahiro Tanaka Suffers Head Injury in Practice appeared first on SportzBonanza.

New York Yankees pitcher Masahiro Tanaka won’t enter the free agency and will remain with the team. This was confirmed by Tanaka in the statement released on Friday.

“I have decided to stay with the Yankees for the next three seasons. It was a simple decision for me as I have truly enjoyed the past four years playing for this organization and for the wonderful fans of New York,” – Tanaka said in the statement. “I’m excited to continue to be a part of this team, and I’m committed to our goal of bringing a World Series Championship back to the Steinbrenner family, the Yankees organization, and the great fans of New York.“

As the part of Tanaka’s seven-year, $155 million deal he signed in 2014, he had an opportunity to opt out of the contract after his fourth year. During his four seasons with the Yankees, Tanaka has 52–28 win-loss record, with 3.56 ERA and 639 strikeouts.

The 2017 season wasn’t the best one for Tanaka since he was 13-12 with a 4.74 ERA. He also allowed 35 home runs during the regular season, which represents a career high. He managed to come back in the postseason, with 0.90 ERA in three starts. It is important to note that Tanaka plays with a tear in the UCL ligament of his right throwing elbow since 2014.

While Tanaka is set to remain with the New York Yankees, manager Joe Girardi won’t. The team has decided to look for another solution on the managerial position and will part ways with Girardi, who was with the team for 10 years and brought the Yankees one World Series title during his tenure. He also managed to lead the Yankees to the American League Championship Series this year. Although the team will take some time before deciding on the new manager, possible candidates include bench coach Rob Thomson and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre manager Al Pedrique.

The post Masahiro Tanaka Will Remain With the New York Yankees appeared first on SportzBonanza.