New York Yankees outfielder Hideki Matsui left hospital Saturday after undergoing surgery on a fractured left wrist he suffered during a game Thursday.
Matsui left Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center on Saturday afternoon a day after having surgery on the injury, which snapped his streak of playing in consecutive games in Japan and the major leagues.
"I never thought I'd spend such a long 24 hours. I'll root for the Yankees at my home from today," Yankees spokesman Isao Hirooka quoted Matsui as saying, adding that the 31-year-old is expected to have his stitches removed in two weeks and will need about six weeks for the bone to coalesce.
Matsui fractured his wrist while trying to make a sliding catch on a fly ball to shallow left field in the first inning of a game against the Boston Red Sox at Yankee Stadium.
He ended his streak of 518 consecutive games played with the Yankees and 1,768 overall, including his stint starting Aug. 22, 1993 in his rookie season with the Yomiuri Giants in Japan's Central League.
According to spokesman Hirooka, Matsui has received an encouraging message from former Giants manager Shigeo Nagashima.