Seibu Lions right-hander Daisuke Matsuzaka will not take part in the upcoming All-Star series due to the recurrence of soreness in his right elbow, Seibu manager Haruki Ihara said Sunday.
It will be the second time the 22-year-old Matsuzaka has missed the All-Star series due to the elbow problem, as he also missed last year's series.
Matsuzaka garnered 724,863 ballots in fan voting for the two-game series starting Tuesday at Osaka Dome -- the most among Pacific League starting pitchers.
Takayuki Shinohara of the Daiei Hawks is expected to substitute for Matsuzaka.
Matsuzaka cannot be allowed to play for 10 games after the regular season resumes on Friday due to a relevant professional baseball agreement.