Chunichi Dragons right-hander Kazuki Yoshimi successfully underwent season-ending surgery on his right elbow on Tuesday, the club said.
The procedure, which was to reconstruct his medial collateral ligament and clean out the elbow joint, was conducted at a Nagoya hospital, according to the club.
The 28-year-old Yoshimi is scheduled to be released Friday and will begin a rehab program as he aims to resume catch later this year and make a comeback early next season, it said.
Yoshimi, who was the Dragons' Opening Day starter, led the Central League in wins in 2009 and 2011.
He began complaining of discomfort in his elbow early in the season. In six appearances, he was 1-4 with an ERA of 4.71 and was deactivated May 8.