Former Mariners reliever Yoshihisa Hirano returning to Japan with Orix

Reliever Yoshihisa Hirano, currently a free agent after leaving the Seattle Mariners, is set to return to the Orix Buffaloes in Nippon Professional Baseball, sources close to the matter said Friday.

The 36-year-old, who signed a one-year deal with the Mariners in January 2020, had a 0-1 record with four saves and a 5.84 ERA in 13 games last season after missing most of summer camp with a coronavirus infection.

Hirano, who began his MLB career with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2018, is 9-9 with a 3.69 ERA in 131⅔ innings in the majors.

The right-hander joined Orix in 2006 and was named the best reliever in the Pacific League in 2011. He led the PL in saves with 40 in 2014.

For Orix, his only club in NPB, he is 48-69 with 156 saves and a 3.10 ERA in 549 games.

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Source : Baseball – The Japan Times

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