Yakult Swallows catcher Atsuya Furuta will miss the season opener after breaking his right ring finger, officials of the Central League club said Saturday.
Furuta jammed his finger trying to catch a flyball in the first inning of a game Friday against the Orix BlueWave and was diagnosed with a fracture after undergoing a checkup at a Tokyo hospital. He will need at least three weeks to recover, the officials said.
"He won't make it in time for the season opener," chief trainer Saburo Horiuchi said. "As long as he can get rid of some of the pain, he's thinking he'll be able to play in about two weeks."
The Swallows take on the Hiroshima Carp in the season opener at Jingu Stadium in Tokyo on March 28.
Furuta, a nine-time Golden Glove winner, batted .300 with nine homers and 60 RBIs in 120 games last season.