FUKUOKA (Kyodo) Fukuoka Softbank Hawks infielder Hiroki Kokubo was taken off the active roster on Wednesday after hurting his left shoulder in a game against the Yakult Swallows the previous day.
Kokubo, 38, aggravated a neck injury at the end of May and was compensating for his neck when he tweaked his shoulder in Tuesday's 4-3 loss to Tokyo Yakult.
He will undergo treatment for three days before resuming training at the team's facility in Fukuoka on Saturday. Kokubo will forgo batting practice for the time being and there is a possibility he will be sidelined until July or later.
"We want to take a look at his condition over the next few days and then make a decision on the next course of action," said Softbank chief trainer Yoshitaka Azuma.