Masahiro Tanaka, an All-Star starting pitcher with the New York Yankees, is now eligible to play for Japan’s Olympic baseball team at the Tokyo Games.
Tanaka, 32, returned to Japan’s domestic league rather than sign a contract with the Yankees or another MLB team for the 2021 season.
Active MLB players have never participated in the Olympics, which always fall during the regular season.
The NPB is taking an Olympic break during its season. Baseball will be one of the host nation’s most popular sports given its rich history in Japan.
Tanaka, if he is named to the national team, would be one of the most recognizable Olympians not only in the host nation, but also to American sports fans who followed his career with the Yankees the last seven seasons.