Hiroki Kuroda, who was voted onto this year's Central League All-Star roster, was deactivated on Wednesday due to mild inflammation in his right shoulder and right ankle.
The 40-year-old Kuroda will miss his next start but is expected to be ready for the All Star series, which begins on July 17 at Tokyo Dome and concludes the following day at Hiroshima's Mazda Stadium.
Kuroda, who was deactivated in May with inflammation in his right ankle, allowed three runs in six innings in Tuesday's 3-1 loss at home to the Yokohama BayStars.
Returning to pitch in Japan after seven big league seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees, Kuroda has a 6-4 record with a 2.68. The right-hander received the most votes from both the fans and the players for Central League starting pitchers.
