Rangers release Kyuji Fujikawa

Kyuji Fujikawa's brief stint with the Texas Rangers officially ended Friday when the 34-year-old reliever was placed on unconditional release waivers.

Fujikawa was designated for assignment May 17 but refused an outright assignment to the minor leagues, prompting the Rangers to release him Friday afternoon.

The pitcher agreed to a one-year, $1.1-million deal with Texas in December, eager to revive his career after missing much of the previous two seasons due to Tommy John surgery. After making 11 minor-league appearances during the early stages of 2015, Fujikawa was promoted to Texas on May 14, but took the mound just twice - allowing three earned runs over a combined 1 2/3 innings - before being released.

A four-time All-Star in his native Japan, Fujikawa has reportedly drawn interest from several teams in Nippon Professional Baseball, including his former team, the Hanshin Tigers, according to Gerry Fraley of the Dallas Morning News. The Rangers, however, are still responsible for the $832,240 remaining on his contract.

Over parts of three seasons in the majors, Fujikawa compiled a 5.74 ERA with a 1.46 WHIP in 29 appearances, though he notched 32 strikeouts while issuing just eight walks across 26 2/3 innings for the Rangers and Chicago Cubs.