His time in Minnesota did not go as expected, Tsuyoshi Nishioka is returning to Japan to play baseball. The Twins released Nishioka last week after the infielder agreed to forfeit his $3.25 million contract for next season. The future home for Nishioka will be on the Hanshin Tigers of Japan’s Central League.
Nishioka struggled at the plate and in the field with the Twins. He hit just .215 in 71 games in the majors and had a dismal .957 fielding percentage between second and third base.