Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles manager Senichi Hoshino, who is recovering from back surgery, will not skipper the upcoming All-Star series for the Pacific League as originally planned, the PL said Monday.
Hoshino, 67, recently had surgery to repair a herniated disc and correct a condition that affects his thoracic vertebrae. He was to skipper the PL team for the two All-Star games on July 18 and 19 as the league pennant winning manager in 2013.
Rakuten's acting manager, Yoshinori Sato, will manage the 28-member squad for the games against the Central League at Seibu Dome and Koshien Stadium in his place.
Hoshino, who plans to offer his input from an overall standpoint for the managers' picks of players to be decided this Thursday, is only the second to withdraw from the All-Star series after PL manager Toshiharu Ueda in 1978.