Relief pitcher Hideki Okajima, who signed a minor league contract with the New York Yankees in December, failed a physical and is no longer expected to join the team, reports David Waldstein of the New York Times.
An MLB official "who knows about it" told Waldstein that Okajima did not pass his examination, meaning his contract has likely been voided.
The 36-year old pitcher was expected to compete for a role in New York's bullpen despite a troublesome 2011 that saw him taken off the Boston Red Sox's 40-man roster. Okajima was 1-0 with a 4.32 ERA during 8.1 innings with the Red Sox but spent most of his time in Triple-A Pawtucket, where the left-hander was 8-1 with a 2.29 ERA.
Okajima was named an All-Star during his debut 2007 season, when he was 3-2 with a 2.22 ERA, but his production has declined since.
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