Estonian rank-and-filer Baruto will sit out the Spring Grand Sumo Tournament getting under way in Osaka this weekend because of a knee injury, his stable master Onoe said Thursday.
Baruto has been demoted to No. 13 maegashira in the elite makuuchi division after an injury to the same knee forced him to pull out early in the New Year meet in January.
Baruto's withdrawal from the spring basho means he is set for demotion to the second-tier juryo division for the summer tourney in May but Onoe has backed him to bounce straight back.