Tokyo Yakult Swallows right-hander Shohei Tateyama will be out for three to four weeks due to a stress fracture in his right foot, the team said Thursday.
Tateyama was taken off the active roster after being diagnosed with a stress fracture in the fourth metatarsal bone in his right foot at a Tokyo hospital earlier in the day.
The struggling Swallows are certain to be without the Central League's winningest pitcher last season at least until the All-Star break.
Tateyama sustained the injury while running the bases in the sixth inning of a 4-3 win over the Yomiuri Giants on Wednesday.
He is 4-5 with a 4.05 ERA in 11 starts this season.
Mise-Shimizu trade
FUKUOKA (Kyodo) Fukuoka Softbank Hawks reliever Koji Mise will be traded to the Chunichi Dragons for catcher Masaumi Shimizu, Softbank said Thursday.
Softbank was in need of a man behind the plate after regular catcher Katsuki Yamazaki had to go through what could be a season-ending surgery on his left knee Wednesday.
Mise, 34, joined the then-Daiei Hawks in 2004 and won the Pacific League Rookie of the Year Award that year. The left-hander has made just six appearances with a 10.80 ERA this season.
Shimizu, 35, joined Chunichi in 2005 after spending eight seasons with the Chiba Lotte Marines. He has had only one at-bat this season.