Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks infielder Munenori Kawasaki is expected to quit the team, it was learned Monday, and it is highly likely he will retire from the sport.
The 36-year-old Kawasaki returned to the Hawks, the team with which he started his career, in April last season after playing in North American baseball.
However, he suffered injuries to both Achilles tendons during the season and was unable to play. From then, his health deteriorated both mentally and physically.
The club has continued negotiations toward working out a contract for this season, but it appears that Kawasaki himself has withdrawn from the talks.
In 2000, Kawasaki joined the Hawks (then owned by Daiei) as a fourth-round draft pick out of Kagoshima Prefectural Technical High School. In 2004, he led the Pacific League in hits and stolen bases, and became a fan-favorite, affectionately nicknamed "Munerin."
Kawasaki made the jump to the major leagues in 2012, where he played for the Seattle Mariners, Toronto Blue Jays and Chicago Cubs. Over five seasons, he appeared in 276 games, batting .237.
Returning to Japan last season, he batted .241 in 42 games.
For his career in Japan, he has a .292 batting average with 373 RBIs and 267 stolen bases in 1,187 games.
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