Hideki Okajima -- who ended his Red Sox career by spending most of 2011 in Pawtucket, then had a signing with the Yankees negated after he failed a physical -- is heading back to Japan.
The site mlbtraderumors.com reports that the ex-Sox reliever has signed with the Softbank Hawksas he returns to his native country for the first time since 2006. The site said the Yankees voided their deal with Okajima because of "left shoulder concerns", but Okajima told reporters in Japan that his shoulder is fine that he is eager to "show what he did in America".