Daiei Hawks catcher Kenji Jojima has been diagnosed with a broken right index finger and is expected to be sidelined for at least two months, officials of the 1999 Japan Series champions said Friday.
The 23-year-old backstop suffered the injury Thursday when a foul ball struck his right index finger in the eighth inning of Daiei's 7-2 loss to the Seibu Lions at the Seibu Dome in Tokorozawa.
"This is quite a shock. I played every game last season and was really looking forward to leading our pitching staff again this season," said Jojima, who was a key player in the Hawks 1999 championship drive.
Jojima, who posted a .306 batting average last season along with 77 RBIs and 17 homers, will undergo surgery early next week and is expected to begin rehabilitation two weeks later.