Hanshin Tigers lefty slugger Justin Bour, who joined Nippon Professional Baseball in December, has returned to the United States the Central League club said Saturday.
The Tigers signed the 32-year-old Bour to a ¥270 million contract, but he failed to live up to his salary, batting .243 with 45 RBIs and 17 homers in 99 games before he was removed from the active roster on Oct. 22.
Bour, who played for the Los Angeles Angels in 2019, began the season batting cleanup but never regained the form that saw him hit 25 homers in 2017, when he also participated in the MLB All-Star Home Run Derby.
He is not expected to return to the club next season, though no official statement has yet been made.
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