Japanese submarine right-hander Kazuhisa Makita was designated for assignment, the San Diego Padres announced Friday.
Removing Makita from the 40-man roster was an expected move as the 33-year-old reliever has struggled in his debut season in the majors.
Makita has been sent down to the Padres' minor league affiliate for the sixth time. He is 0-1 with a 5.40 ERA over 27 games. He will take a spin through waivers to determine where he lands.
The former Seibu Lions pitcher was a closer for the Japanese national team at the World Baseball Classic in spring last year and transferred to the majors on a two-year deal over the winter.
