Akiyama agreed Sunday with the Hiroshima Toyo Carp of Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball on a three-year contract, C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic reports.
A return to his native Japan always looked to be a likely outcome for Akiyama after he opted out of his minor-league contract with the Padres earlier this month. The 34-year-old outfielder signed a three-year, $21 million contract with the Reds in January 2020, but he never made much of a splash in North America. He didn't appear in any MLB games in 2022 and slashed .224/.320/.274 across 366 career plate appearances with Cincinnati.
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Shogo Akiyama: Opts out of deal with Padres
Rotowire
Akiyama is opting out of his minor-league deal with the Padres and may be headed overseas to continue his career, Jeff Sanders of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.
Sanders didn't explicitly say Akiyama was headed overseas, but he mentioned Aderlin Rodriguez and Ian Krol as other Padres who have opted to make that move this season. Akiyama had been on the COVID-19 injured list and out of action since June 3. He had three home runs and a .907 OPS in 16 games with Triple-A El Paso.
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Padres' Shogo Akiyama: Signs minors deal with Padres
Rotowire
Akiyama agreed to a minor-league contract with the Padres on Saturday, C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic reports.
Akiyama has shown decent defense in center field in his two seasons in the majors and has made a fair amount of contact, but his complete lack of power makes him unexciting for fantasy purposes. He has zero homers and a 0.8 percent barrel rate in 366 career plate appearances, leading to a .224/.320/.274 slash line.
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Shogo Akiyama: Cut loose by Cincinnati
Rotowire
The Reds released Akiyama on Tuesday.
After Cincinnati informed Akiyama over the weekend that he wouldn't be part of the team's Opening Day roster, the 33-year-old had the ability to decline being optioned to Triple-A Louisville. Akiyama appears to have done just that, and after no other team was willing to acquire him at an $8 million salary for 2022, Cincinnati has elected to cut bait with the outfielder entirely. Though Akiyama has produced a disappointing .224/.320/.274 slash line in 366 plate appearances since signing with the Reds ahead of the 2020 season, his solid defense and baserunning could prompt another club to bring him aboard as a fourth or fifth outfielder on a more palatable salary. Akiyama could also choose to pursue opportunities in his native Japan if he doesn't find any MLB offers to his liking.
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Reds' Shogo Akiyama: Misses Opening Day roster
Rotowire
The Reds informed Akiyama on Sunday he won't make the Opening Day roster, C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic reports.
Akiyama has a .594 OPS in 142 games since signing a three-year, $21 million contract with the Reds in January of 2020, and he didn't show enough during spring training to warrant a roster spot to begin the 2022 campaign. The 33-year-old could refuse his assignment to Triple-A Louisville -- which he did last season -- in which case Cincinnati will need to designate him for assignment by Thursday's season opener.
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Reds' Shogo Akiyama: Reports to camp healthy
Rotowire
Akiyama arrived at camp Saturday and said he's fully recovered from the hamstring injury that sidelined him at the end of last season, Charlie Goldsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.
The hamstring issue also sent Akiyama to the injured list early in the year, and he wasn't close to good enough when healthy, hitting .204/.282/.253 in 88 games. The 33-year-old hasn't made a case for consistent playing time and is unlikely to provide much fantasy value even if the Reds decide they need his glove in center field on a regular basis.
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Reds' Shogo Akiyama: Won't return in 2021
Rotowire
Akiyama (hamstring) won't return this season, Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.
Akiyama sustained a right hamstring strain in mid-September, and manager David Bell revealed Tuesday that none of the team's players on the injured list will return prior to the end of the year. The 33-year-old hit .204 with eight doubles, 16 runs, 12 RBI and two stolen bases across 88 games in 2021.
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Reds' Shogo Akiyama: Lands on injured list
Rotowire
Akiyama was placed on the 10-day injured list Saturday with a right hamstring strain.
Akiyama was unavailable for Friday night's game due to the injury, and he'll now be sidelined until at least late September. Both Tyler Naquin (ribs) and Jesse Winker (ribs) are also sidelined, so Akiyama would have been in line for significant playing time. In his absence, the Reds will be shorthanded in the outfield. Max Schrock and Delino DeShields figure to see a boost in playing time as a result.
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Reds' Shogo Akiyama: Dealing with hamstring
Rotowire
Akiyama was unavailable for Friday's game against the Dodgers due to a sore hamstring, Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.
Akiyama's absence hurt the Reds in center field Friday night, with Tyler Naquin going on the IL and Jesse Winker leaving the game late. The remaining options in center field are Delino DeShields and Aristides Aquino, with Max Schrock useable there in a pinch.
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Reds' Shogo Akiyama: Slips down depth chart
Rotowire
Akiyama remains out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Cubs.
Akiyama appears to have fallen behind all of Tyler Naquin, Nick Castellanos, Max Schrock, Delino DeShields and Aristides Aquino in the pecking order in the Cincinnati outfield. Since Akiyama made his last start Aug. 24, all of the aforementioned five players have made no fewer than four outfield starts.
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Reds' Shogo Akiyama: Filling in for Winker
Rotowire
Akiyama will start in center field and bat eighth Tuesday against the Cubs.
After Jesse Winker (intercostal) was placed on the 10-day injured list Monday, Akiyama and Aristides Aquino should be in store for extra opportunities in the Cincinnati outfield. The lefty-hitting Akiyama should play alongside Tyler Naquin and Nick Castellanos versus right-handed pitching, while the righty-hitting Aquino likely replaces Akiyama or Naquin versus southpaws.
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Reds' Shogo Akiyama: Rewarded with another start
Rotowire
Akiyama will start in center field and bat eighth Sunday against the Pirates.
Manager David Bell will roll with Akiyama over Tyler Naquin in center field for the second game in a row after the former went 2-for-3 with a walk and two runs scored in Saturday's 11-3 win. Naquin still appears to be viewed as the Reds' primary option at the position, but his second-half cooldown coupled with Akiyama's status as the superior defensive option could make center field more of a timeshare over the final two months of the season than it had been previously.
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Reds' Shogo Akiyama: Back to bench
Rotowire
Akiyama is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Mets.
Akiyama will retreat to the bench after going 4-for-16 with a pair of doubles and two RBI while starting in four of the past five games. The Reds appear content to roll out a timeshare of Akiyama and Aristides Aquino -- who will start Sunday -- in the remaining spot in their outfield alongside everyday players Jesse Winker and Tyler Naquin. Both Akiyama and Aquino will see their opportunities dry up whenever Nick Castellanos (wrist) returns from the injured list.
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Reds' Shogo Akiyama: Behind Aquino in outfield picture
Rotowire
Akiyama is on the bench for Monday's game against the Cubs.
After a recent stretch in which he picked up three consecutive starts, Akiyama will now remain on the bench for the fifth time in six games. The hot-hitting Aristides Aquino appears to have emerged as manager David Bell's preferred choice to fill a spot in the Reds' everyday outfield alongside Jesse Winker and Tyler Naquin while Nick Castellanos (wrist) is on the injured list.
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Reds' Shogo Akiyama: Nabs third straight start
Rotowire
Akiyama will start in center field and bat seventh Monday against the Mets.
Akiyama will stick in the lineup for the third straight game, but each of those starts have coincided with Nick Castellanos (wrist) sitting out. The Reds are viewing Castellanos as day-to-day, so if he's able to avoid the injured list, Akiyama will soon move back into a fourth-outfielder role for Cincinnati.
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Reds' Shogo Akiyama: Three hits, two RBI in win
Rotowire
Akiyama went 3-for-4 with two RBI in Sunday's 7-6 win over Colorado.
The 33-year-old hit an RBI single in both the second and eighth innings. The first opened the scoring, while the latter brought Cincinnati within a run. Akiyama has gone 6-for-21 (.286) in nine games as he begins to carve out playing time in the outfield. He has two RBI and two runs scored this season.
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Reds' Shogo Akiyama: Activated, starting Friday
Rotowire
Akiyama (hamstring) was activated from the 10-day injured list and is starting in left field Friday at Cleveland.
The 33-year-old will bat ninth in his season debut after missing the first five weeks of the season with a hamstring injury. Akiyama should rotate as a fourth outfielder with Tyler Naquin, who is off to a strong start to the season.
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Reds' Shogo Akiyama: Suiting up at Triple-A
Rotowire
Akiyama (hamstring) is scheduled to play about 7-to-9 innings Tuesday in a rehab game at Triple-A Louisville, Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.
The rehab assignment will present a final test for the health of Akiyama's left hamstring after he was sidelined for the first month of the season with the injury. Assuming all goes well Tuesday, Akiyama could be activated from the 10-day injured list ahead of the weekend.
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Reds' Shogo Akiyama: On track to debut this week
Rotowire
Akiyama (hamstring) is on track to debut this week, Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.
Akiyama has been playing in scrimmages at the Reds' alternate training site, including against Cleveland's alternate camp squad this weekend. "Physically, he's checking all of the boxes," Reds manager David Bell said. "It's a matter of days now."
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Reds' Shogo Akiyama: Another intrasquad game on tap
Rotowire
Reds manager David Bell said Akiyama (hamstring) would play in an intrasquad game Thursday, C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic reports.
Akiyama has taken part in a couple scrimmages over the past few days, an indication he's progressing well in his recovery from a left hamstring injury. Bell said that Akiyama took five at-bats in six innings Tuesday, with the outfielder getting the chance to run the bases three times. Akiyama won't be ready to return from the 10-day injured list this weekend, but he appears on track to make his 2021 debut during the first week of May.
