Rays release Matsui

Oakland, CA – The Tampa Bay Rays granted outfielder Hideki Matsui his official release from the club on Wednesday.

Matsui was designated for assignment by the Rays on July 25, but requested his release rather than reporting to Triple-A Durham.

The 38-year-old veteran hit just .147 with two home runs and seven RBI in 34 games with Tampa Bay this season.

Over 10 major league seasons, the two time All-Star has a .282 average with 175 home runs and 760 RBI in 1,236 games.