Hiroki Kuroda RUMORS & NEWS

New York Post "Hiroki Kuroda’s solid effort was complete one out earlier than he wanted, and as he walked off the mound plate umpire Laz Diaz said something to him. The Yankees’ right-hander uncharacteristically talked back to the plate umpire generally regarded as among the worst in baseball and raised his..." May 13

New York Post "A four-game winning streak had been snapped by a loss to the Astros Monday, when the AL West’s new punching bag shelled Andy Pettitte. Last night, the Yankees turned to Hiroki Kuroda to help restore order to the universe. Kuroda did the job. The right-hander blanked Houston for seven innings..." May 01

Newark Star-Ledger "From the first pitch, Hiroki Kuroda didn’t look right. His command and accuracy weren’t there. Nor was his sinker, or the quickness dealing with hitters. Yankees manager Joe Girardi said he didn’t think Kuroda threw a good slider until the end of the third inning. For the first two frames..." April 26

Newark Star-Ledger "At the outset of Sunday night’s game, Francisco Cervelli had a realization: Hiroki Kuroda’s sinker would be his workhorse pitch. Once Cervelli saw how well it was moving, he rode it as much as he could. "I say, ‘I gotta take advantage,’" Cervelli said. "Keep calling, keep calling and that’s..." April 15

New York Post "Hiroki Kuroda was hardly his sharpest yesterday, but the Yankees right-hander refused to blame his bruised right finger. “When I was on the mound, I never thought about it,” Kuroda said through a translator after picking up his first victory of the season in an 11-6 win over the Indians at..." April 09

New York Post "Hiroki Kuroda’s right middle finger isn’t completely healed, and he doesn’t know if it will affect his pitching today. “I would be lying if I said it wasn’t bothering me,’’ said Kuroda, slated to start this afternoon against the Indians in Cleveland. “At the same time, I have to deal with..." April 08

New York Post "Hiroki Kuroda is hardly a guarantee to make his next scheduled start on Monday and the right-hander will face a significant test Friday when he attempts to throw a bullpen session in Detroit. Kuroda didn’t do his usual throwing Thursday after suffering a contusion on his right middle finger..." April 05

Bergen Record "Yankees right-hander Hiroki Kuroda (finger) said he hopes to make his next scheduled start Tuesday at Cleveland, but won’t know if he can until he throws in a bullpen session today. Kuroda injured his middle finger while trying to catch a line drive with his pitching hand Wednesday night...." April 05

New York Post "The Yankees were encouraged by Hiroki Kuroda’s bullpen session Friday, and expect him to make his next start on Monday against the Indians. “I anticipate he will. Let's see how he comes out of it tomorrow,” pitching coach Larry Rothschild said after watching Kuroda throw. The Yankees No. 2..." April 05

MLB.com "Yankees right-hander Hiroki Kuroda said that his bruised right middle finger is giving him some discomfort, one day after he was struck by a line drive, but he still hopes to make his next start. Kuroda has been receiving ice, tape and laser treatment since he made contact with Shane..." April 04

Bombers Beat "Yankees right-hander Hiroki Kuroda was forced to leave Wednesday’s game against the Red Sox with an apparent injury to his pitching hand. Kuroda reached up and made contact with Shane Victorino’s hard line drive to open the second inning, which glanced off the hurler’s hand and landed in center..." April 03

Newark Star-Ledger "The Yankees’ No. 2 starter is 38 years old — the oldest No. 2 guy in baseball — which is concerning even before you consider the fact that their No. 3 starter will be 41 in June. He is also coming off a season in which he threw 219⅔ innings, more than able-bodied studs like Jered Weaver and..." March 01

New York Post "During live spring-training batting practice, it’s rare for hitters to get the bat on the ball. The drill should be renamed pitching practice, because they dominate. Yet, there was Ichiro Suzuki crushing a pitch from Hiroki Kuroda halfway into the right-field bleachers yesterday at George M...." February 22

MLB.com "Hiroki Kuroda exceeded the expectations of many in his first season with the Yankees, and as much as he enjoyed the experience, it was not an easy decision for the right-hander to return. Because his family makes their home in Los Angeles, where he spent the first four seasons of his Major..." February 19

NESN "Hiroki Kuroda put together a nice season for the Yankees in 2012, and that was apparently enough to pique the Red Sox' interest. According to WEEI.com's Rob Bradford, the Red Sox "made a really strong push" to sign Kuroda before the Yankees inked the veteran right-hander to a one-year deal worth a..." November 21

Newark Star-Ledger "The Yankees can breathe a little easier going into Thanksgiving knowing that they have come to terms with right-hander Hiroki Kuroda on a one-year contract. It was general manager Brian Cashman's first order of business in what will be a busy off-season. "We'd like to get things done as quickly..." November 21

New York Post "With dependable Hiroki Kuroda returning for the 2013 season, it appears the Yankees' rotation has a solid chance to look exactly like it did last season. Kuroda and the club agreed Tuesday to a one-year deal for $15 million and $500,000 worth of incentives. The deal is a win for each side...." November 21

Foxsports.com "The New York Yankees took their first step toward restocking their rotation Tuesday, re-signing free-agent right-hander Hiroki Kuroda to a one-year, $15 million contract, according to a major-league source. Kuroda, 37, chose to stay with the Yankees rather than return to Japan, where he wants..." November 20

New York Daily News "The Yankees may be facing two-pronged competition from Southern California to retain Hiroki Kuroda, the pitcher who was their ace for much of last season. The Dodgers and Angels are both pursuing Kuroda, and, according to a report on ESPNLos Angeles.com, Kuroda has "told friends that his..." November 18

New York Post "The Yankees' greatest ally to keeping Hiroki Kuroda might be the righty's desire to play in Japan again while he still is a good pitcher. That is because, The Post has learned, the Yankees are only willing to offer Kuroda a one-year contract at present. Two other teams that seemingly would be..." November 18

ESPN.com "There might be a reason why the Los Angeles Angels have reportedly gotten involved in trying to sign free agent pitcher Hiroki Kuroda. Previously, teams have been under the impression that Kuroda would either re-sign with the New York Yankees or return to his native Japan to finish his career...." November 16

New York Post "Hiroki Kuroda, Rafael Soriano and Nick Swisher all turned down qualifying offers yesterday, a result the Yankees were prepared for. "I'm not surprised whatsoever," general manager Brian Cashman said of the players' decisions before leaving the General Manager's meetings in Indian Wells, Calif...." November 10

MLB.com "A total of nine players headed toward free agency were given qualifying offers to stay with their old clubs on Monday. All officially declined the offers, with eight heading to free agency after Friday's 5 p.m. ET deadline passed. While David Ortiz decided to re-up with the Red Sox, the other..." November 09

Hardball Talk "The Yankees are expected to attempt to re-sign starting pitcher Hiroki Kuroda this offseason and should have ample funds to get the contract done. But they're going to have some competition. Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe writes in this week's Sunday notes column that Kuroda "may be the..." November 04

New York Post "The Yankees made qualifying offers to Rafael Soriano, Hiroki Kuroda and Nick Swisher Friday, meaning if any of them wind up signing with another team, the Yankees will receive a draft pick. They will have until Nov. 9 to accept. Swisher is almost certain to pass on the deal, worth $13.3 million..." November 02

Newark Star-Ledger "Hiroki Kuroda waited, along with the 47,082 fans surrounding him at Yankee Stadium, for a breakthrough that never came. This Yankees team has relied in these playoffs upon superlative starting pitching and nearly-miraculous hitting. Sunday, only one half of that equation appeared. "I tried..." October 15

New York Post "Hiroki Kuroda has only been a Yankee for one season, but he's already become accustomed to late-game drama. So even though he left yesterday's 3-0 ALCS Game 2 loss down by a run and quickly saw the deficit balloon to three runs, he still held out hope. "I tried to stay patient, hoping..." October 15

New York Daily News "There's a first time for everything, especially in October. Hiroki Kuroda has never pitched on three days' rest in his career, but the veteran righty has been tabbed by Joe Girardi to do so Sunday in Game 2 of the ALCS against the Tigers. Girardi also named Phil Hughes as the Yankees' Game..." October 13

Newark Star-Ledger "You'll see it tonight in the Bronx. After all the fanfare that comes along with a postseason game at the Stadium, all the player introductions and the ceremonial first pitch. After the Yankees take the field, and the national anthem. And after Yankee catcher Russell Martin gives the signals for..." October 10

New York Daily News "There has been no place like home for Hiroki Kuroda this season. And Joe Girardi hopes it remains that way for at least a few more October starts, beginning with Game 3 of the Yanks' AL division series Wednesday night in the Bronx. "He seems to do very well at our ballpark," Girardi said. "He..." October 10

MLB.com "Even if he is tiring, Hiroki Kuroda still has Yankee Stadium going for him. The right-hander has thrown the most innings of his Major League career, 219 1/3, entering his start against the Orioles on Wednesday in Game 3 of the American League Division Series. Kuroda will be on six days' rest, a..." October 09

New York Post "Hiroki Kuroda is scheduled to start Wednesday night's regular season finale against the Red Sox, potentially the most important game of his brief Yankees career as they try to avoid a matchup in Baltimore for the AL East crown. "My focus is on helping the team win, rather than thinking of it..." October 03

New York Post "It is the right question to the wrong person. We keep asking Andy Pettitte whether he will pitch in 2013 when we should be inquiring just how much the Yankees will beg him to do so. Of all the injuries and issues that have beset the 2012 Yankees, nothing has been more damaging — short-term and,..." September 19

New York Daily News "Joe Girardi laughed off the question posed to him after Sunday's game about whether he might be ready to consider starting Hiroki Kuroda rather than CC Sabathia in Game 1 of a playoff series. The manager's reaction was understandable, considering the Yankees are in a see-saw battle with the..." September 18

New York Post "The Red Sox seem determined to remain irrelevant in the AL East race this season, and the Yankees helped them stay that way last night. Behind another masterful performance from Hiroki Kuroda and a pair of home runs from Ichiro Suzuki, the Yankees discarded Boston, 4-1. Kuroda was coming off..." August 20

Rotoworld.com "The Cardinals' two-year, $26 million free agent agreement with National League MVP candidate Carlos Beltran looks like the steal of the offseason, but Hiroki Kuroda's one-year, $10 million pact with the Yankees can't be too far behind. The Japanese right-hander was a force again Tuesday night..." August 15

New York Post "Hiroki Kuroda first started to notice the Yankee Stadium crowd reacting to his no-hit bid in the fifth inning, and after he finished his 3-0 complete-game, two-hit masterpiece against the Rangers, he delivered a message to the faithful: "I feel bad I let down all the fans that expected a..." August 15

New York Post "Hiroki Kuroda had been nearly perfect this season pitching before the sun went down. And although he was very good again yesterday, he was no match for Felix Hernandez. Kuroda gave up just one run in a 1-0 loss to the Mariners at the Stadium, marking the first run the right-hander had given..." August 05

New York Post "Less than 18 hours after CC Sabathia returned from the disabled list to pitch a scoreless outing, Hiroki Kuroda followed the ace with an equally impressive performance. Buoyed by the Yankees' four-run first inning, Kuroda pitched seven shutout innings in a rain-shortened complete game..." July 19

New York Post "After a game where Dewayne Wise was the Yankees' most effective pitcher and a week that saw two starting pitchers dropped by injury, Joe Girardi hoped, wished and sacrificed goats for one element yesterday. "Distance," the manager said. "Be nice to get six, seven innings." Hiroki Kuroda gave..." July 01

New York Daily News "Jorge Munoz may live in Queens, but he's not a Mets fan. In fact, up until 11 a.m. on Tuesday, he didn't even follow baseball. Munoz says he's too busy and doesn't have the time to watch the game. So what happened when Yankees Robinson Cano, Curtis Granderson, Boone Logan and Hiroki Kuroda..." June 27

Cleveland Plain Dealer "Not being able to beat left-handers is one thing. In the Indians' blueprint for 2012, that was considered collateral damage. Something they could live with because their left-handed dominated offense still held a statistical advantage over right-handed pitching. What happens when they can't..." June 26

New York Daily News "Even during the Yankees' 10-game winning streak, their season-long troubles with runners in scoring position remained a problem. That issue was the primary culprit in the end of the streak, as the Braves dealt the Yankees a 4-3 loss Tuesday night, handing the Bombers their first setback since..." June 20

New York Post "Hiroki Kuroda said his left foot felt "much better" yesterday at Yankee Stadium, while Brett Gardner, stationed in Charleston, S.C., told his bosses his right elbow was worse. And with that confluence of events, the Yankees' game plan seems likely to change. Suddenly, as teams head toward the..." June 10

New York Post "Such are the fates of baseball that Hiroki Kuroda spent nearly six innings dancing with history on the very same night Johan Santana made his first appearance since throwing a no-hitter for the Mets. By the end of last night, however, Kuroda wouldn't be dancing at all. He planned to use..." June 09

New York Post "Having taken full advantage of a Memorial Day weekend gift from the schedule maker, the Yankees vacated the Bay Area last night headed back to the big leagues. Starting tonight in Southern California, the Yankees open a three-game series against the rejuvenated Angels riding a season-high..." May 28

New York Daily News "There's no place like home for the Yankees, but Oakland is proving to be a close second. Riding a brilliant game from Hiroki Kuroda, the Yankees completed a three-game sweep with a 2-0 win over the A's Sunday, extending their win streak at the Coliseum to nine. The win was also their fifth..." May 28

New York Daily News "Maybe Hiroki Kuroda should start his games in the second inning. The first-inning problems that have plagued Kuroda all season continued Monday night and it was enough to saddle him with his sixth loss of the season. If you skip his last outing, when he allowed all seven runs to Toronto..." May 22

New York Post "The Yankees have tipped their hats to pitchers so many times this year, they better begin icing their elbows and wrists. Kyle Drabek was the latest hurler to be smothered in Yankees hosannas after hurling the Blue Jays to an 8-1 victory in front of 28,915 at Rogers Centre. "That sinker was..." May 17

New York Post "It was, in the words of manager Joe Girardi, "an ugly game." The Yankees couldn't deliver with men on base and starter Hiroki Kuroda struggled through his worst outing as a Yankee in last night's 8-1 loss to the Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. Kuroda entered the game with a career-high average..." May 17