Blue Jays: Munenori Kawasaki stepping away from baseball due to injury

Former Toronto Blue Jays fan favourite Munenori Kawasaki is temporarily stepping away from baseball due to an injury according to various Japanese media outlets.

Munenori Kawasaki spent parts of five seasons in the majors with the Seattle Mariners, Chicago Cubs, and Blue Jays. It was north of the border the quirky Kawasaki became a folk hero and notorious for providing hilarious interviews in broken English.

The infielder offered a translated statement in regards to the injury which appears to be an autonomic nervous disorder and although Kawasaki won’t officially retire from the game, you would have to figure Father Time is unfortunately not on the 36-year old’s side.

"“I have been rehabilitating since the summer of last year but at the same time it became a disease of autonomic nervousness and it began to refuse to move my body. I want to continue baseball in this state I can not think of myself for himself. When I was worried, I decided to keep distance from baseball in the form of a free contract in consultation with the Hawks team this time. ”"

"I am sorry for everyone who is looking forward to it, but now I am changing the environment and I will take care of my heart and body carefully I am sorry I made a worry to many people At the same time, I am sincerely thankful that many people are cheering for it. Thank you so much. “"

More from Toronto Blue Jays News

• Blue Jays: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. open to a long-term contract
• Blue Jays: Snapping cold streaks at the right time
• Who Should the Blue Jays Extend First: Guerrero, Bichette or Manoah?
• Blue Jays now hold the top Wild Card spot, and yes that’s a good thing
• Blue Jays may have the tools to use a Bullpen Day

In 276 MLB games, Kawasaki hit .237/.320/.289 with one home run and 12 stolen bases between 2012 and 2016. He also played 14 regular season games during the Cubs championship season in 2016, however, was not included on the postseason roster.

Kawasaki also spent 12 seasons in the Japan Pacific League where he was a .292/.344/.376 hitter with 27 homers and 267 stolen bases in 1187 Pacific Rim games. Kawasaki returned to his native land last season and saw action in 42 games with the Softbank Hawks.

Next: Blue Jays: The Five Burning Questions for the 2018 season

Hopefully, this won’t be the last time Kawasaki rounds up the troops for a bush party or we are provided with some interview gold from the self-proclaimed Canadian. Best of luck in your recovery “Muni,”