Tokyo Yakult Swallows third baseman Shinya Miyamoto is expected to miss one month with a rib fracture, the Central League club said Monday.
The 41-year-old veteran was removed from the active roster Sunday after complaining of pain in his right chest a day earlier during a game against the Chunichi Dragons, and an MRI at a Tokyo hospital confirmed the injury Monday.
Miyamoto recorded his 2,000th career hit on May 4, making him the 40th player in Japanese baseball history to reach the plateau.
Miyamoto has batted .269 with two home runs and 14 RBIs in 77 games this season.