Dodgers News: Kenta Maeda Returning To Japan For 2026 Season
Kenta Maeda announced that he'll return to Japan for the 2026 season.
LOS ANGELES, CA—With the offseason in full swing after the conclusion of the 2025 season, many players throughout the league are set to decide the next step in their careers, whether that is testing out free agency in the states or looking for an opportunity elsewhere.
Well, former Japanese right-hander Kenta Maeda will return to Japan to finish his playing career, as he announced in a post on Instagram.
The right-handed pitcher started his professional journey with Hiroshima Toyo Carp in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB), where he quickly became one of the top pitchers in Japan.
Maeda pitched 1,509.2 innings with Hiroshima, recording a 97-67 win-loss record, 2.39 ERA, and 1.05 WHIP across 218 appearances (217 starts).
At the end of the 2015 season, he was assigned to all 30 MLB teams before signing an eight-year, $25 million contract with the Dodgers.
Maeda made a strong first impression in his MLB debut by pitching six shutout innings against the San Diego Padres during Opening Week of the 2016 season, while also hitting his first home run off Andrew Cashner.
The right-handed pitcher played four seasons with the Dodgers, rotating between starting and relief roles. He recorded a 47-35 win-loss record, a 3.87 ERA, a 3.71 FIP, a 1.15 WHIP, and averaged 9.8 strikeouts per nine innings over 589 innings in 173 games, including 139 starts.
Maeda was traded to the Minnesota Twins in 2020 as part of the deal that brought Brusdar Graterol to the Dodgers, marking the end of his time with the team.
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