Infielder Tsuyoshi Nishioka was diagnosed with a damaged medial collateral ligament in his right elbow and will be out indefinitely, the Hanshin Tigers said Tuesday.
Nishioka will not need surgery, but manager Yutaka Wada said the injury is fairly serious.
"He's going to need some time," Wada said.
Nishioka complained of discomfort in the elbow — which he had an operation on in November — in Friday's game against the Yokohama BayStars and was deactivated the following day. The former Minnesota Twin began his rehab work on Tuesday.
"Right now, I'm struggling to accept the reality of it all," Nishioka said. "But I can't keep going on about it. I want to do everything I can to come back as soon as possible."