NEW YORK -- Yoshitomo Tsutsugo moved to his third major league team this season, joining the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday following his release from the Los Angeles Dodgers the previous day.
The Pirates have not yet officially announced the deal.
The 29-year-old Tsutsugo, who has been used as a designated hitter, outfielder and first baseman, was left off the Dodgers' 40-man roster on July 7 and accepted an assignment to Triple-A Oklahoma City, where he had been until Aug. 14.
"I am thrilled to be able to play baseball in a new place with new teammates," Tsutsugo said in a statement released by his management company. "I will focus on what I can do for the Pirates and do my best to contribute to the team."
Tsutsugo, a former star with the Yokohama DeNA BayStars, is in his second season on the other side of the Pacific. He joined the Tampa Bay Rays in 2020 and was traded in May this year to the Dodgers. Over 38 games in the majors with the two teams this season, he batted .155 with no home runs and seven RBIs.
In the minor leagues this year, Tsutsugo appeared in 43 games at Oklahoma City, hitting 10 home runs and driving in 32 runs while batting .257.
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