Rangers sign Japanese pitcher Fukumori

MIAMI (Reuters) - The Texas Rangers have signed Japanese pitcher Kazuo Fukumori on two-year, $3 million contract, the Major League Baseball team said on Friday.

The 31-year-old right-hander joins from Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles of Japan's Pacific League despite having an injury-plagued season in his home country.

"Kaz is a guy who has a chance to really help our 'pen," Rangers general manager Jon Daniels told the team's Web site (http://texas.rangers.mlb.com) "He's got the right makeup for it and is very motivated to prove himself here in the States."

The Rangers opted this week not to offer a contract to Japanese pitcher Akinori Otsuka, who started last season as the team's closer but was unable to pitch after July 1 because of a right forearm injury.

(Reporting by Simon Evans in Miami; Editing by Ed Osmond)