The Hiroshima Carp said Monday they will terminate the contract of Xavier Batista, a Dominican player who is nearing the end of a six-month doping suspension.
The 28-year-old slugger tested positive for a banned substance in June last year, and Nippon Professional Baseball announced the violation publicly on Aug. 17. He was deactivated the same day.
Batista entered Japanese baseball through the Carp's baseball academy in the Dominican Republic. He joined the team on a developmental contract in 2016 and was signed to a six-year extension the following year.
In 2018, he hit 25 home runs and helped Hiroshima clinch its third straight Central League pennant. Last season, he batted .269 with 26 homers and 64 RBIs in 103 games.
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