Report: RHP Hiroki Kuroda Returning To Japan

According to reports, right-hander Hiroki Kuroda is leaving the New York Yankees and MLB to return to Japan for the 2015 season.

After seven years in the U.S., right-hander Hiroki Kuroda is reportedly returning home to Japan for the 2015 season.

Japanese freelancer Diasuke Sugiura translated a Japanese report saying Kuroda was heading back across the Pacific and Jon Heyman of CBS Sports later confirmed that report:

Kuroda came to the majors in 2008 with the Los Angeles Dodgers and pitched four seasons there before spending the last three with the New York Yankees.

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He was 79-79 with a 3.45 ERA and 1.172 WHIP in seven big-league seasons, with 211 of his 212 career appearances as a starter.

Last season for the Yankees, Kuroda was 11-9 with a 3.71 ERA and 1.136 WHIP in 32 starts.

Kuroda will reportedly return to the Hiroshima Toyo Carp. He spent 11 seasons with the Carp from 1997-2007 before coming to the U.S., going 103-89 with a 3.69 ERA and 1.265 WHIP in 271 appearances, 244 of them starts, covering 1,700.1 innings.

Kuroda will turn 40 in February. He also made five postseason starts in the U.S., three with the Dodgers in 2008-09 and two with New York in 2012.

The Yankee starting rotation has taken some hits this offseason. Kuroda joins David Phelps (traded to the Miami Marlins this month) and Brandon McCarthy (signed with the Dodgers) on his way out of the Bronx.

New York did get right-hander Nathan Eovaldi back from the Marlins and signed left-hander Chris Capuano to a one-year deal.

According to reports, right-hander Hiroki Kuroda is leaving the New York Yankees and MLB to return to Japan for the 2015 season.

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