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The Dodgers offseason has gone from depressing to downright laughable, with the latest misstep a failed physical exam from fallback option Hisashi Iwakuma, per reports out of Japan.
Jiji Press reporting the Dodgers backing out from Iwakuma after failed physical. https://t.co/JJ3MMEmWxI
— Kazuto Yamazaki (@Kazuto_Yamazaki) December 17, 2015
The three-year, $45 million contract reportedly agreed to on Dec. 6 is now in limbo at least, though apparently not completely dead. Re-working the deal remains a possibility, also suggested by Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times.
"Inaccurate" to say #Dodgers are out on Iwakuma, I'm told. Perhaps they're reworking the contract?
— Dylan Hernandez (@dylanohernandez) December 17, 2015
Iwakuma was 9-5 with a 3.54 ERA in 20 starts in 2015 with the Mariners, with 111 strikeouts and 21 walks in 129⅔ innings. He missed 66 games from April to July with a strained right latissimus dorsi muscle in his upper back.
The right-hander, who turns 35 in April, has averaged 27 starts and 176 innings over the last three seasons.
It is unknown exactly what caused Iwakuma to fail the physical.
He missed a month at the opening of the season in 2014 with a strained tendon in his right middle finger.
Iwakuma was limited to just six starts in 2006 with Rakuten in Japan, dealing most of the year with lingering shoulder soreness. One year later he was sidelined during the year with back soreness and a left oblique strain, limited to just 16 starts. After the 2007 season Iwakuma had arthroscopic surgery on his right elbow in October.