Career
He has played for the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters of Nippon Professional Baseball and the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball. Tanaka played for the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters from 2000 through 2012. He made his Major League debut with the Giants, in left field, on July 9, 2013, against the New York Mets despite playing almost exclusively second base with the Nippon Ham Fighters and the Giants" Triple-American Automobile Association affiliate, the Fresno Grizzlies.
He was designated for assignment on September 3, 2013, and released the next day.
He signed a minor league contract with the Texas Rangers on December 20, 2013, and was released on July 20, 2014.
