Japanese pitcher Hiroki Kuroda, who spent seven seasons in the Major Leagues, announced Tuesday he will retire at the end of the season.
The 41-year-old Kuroda last pitched in the U.S. in 2014, and he has spent the last two seasons pitching for Nippon Professional Baseball's Hiroshima Carp, the club he began his professional career with in 1997.
Kuroda's career will end in the Japan Series, where his Hiroshima team faces the Nippon Ham Fighters.
"Winning the league championship and advancing to the Japan Series is one big reason for this," Kuroda said a news conference at a Hiroshima hotel, according to Japan's Kyodo News. "Because I'm going out after the ultimate season, I have no regrets.
"This had been constantly in my mind the past two to three years. It became tangible in September, when we won the pennant. I had thought about announcing it after the Japan Series. But that next game might be my last, and I felt I had to tell my teammates and the fans who have cheered me on before that."
Kurdoa was 79-79 with a 3.45 ERA in 212 Major League games (211 starts) in seven seasons with the Dodgers and Yankees.
He pitched 11 seasons for Hiroshima before coming to the U.S. He returned to the club in 2015 and was 10-8 with a 3.09 ERA in 24 starts this season.