Former San Diego Padres submarine right-hander Kazuhisa Makita, who also pitched for Japan in two World Baseball Classics, will end his playing career, sources close to the matter said Tuesday.
The 37-year-old Makita struggled to an 8.44 ERA in six relief appearances for Taiwan's CTBC Brothers this past season.
For the Padres, Makita relieved 27 times in 2018, going 0-1 with no saves and a 5.40 ERA, before spending his final season in the United States in the minors.
Makita, who has experience as both a starter and a reliever, has a 55-51 career record in Japan with 27 saves and a 2.81 ERA in a total of 345 games for the Seibu Lions and the Rakuten Eagles between 2011, when he was the Pacific League's rookie of the year, and 2021.
He also pitched for Japan in the 2013 and 2017 World Baseball Classics.
