Pacific League hitter leader Kensuke Kondo will miss the rest of the regular season after having back surgery this week, the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters announced Monday.
Kondo, who is batting .407, will have surgery on Wednesday at a hospital in Tokushima Prefecture after being diagnosed with a herniated lumbar disk.
The team is holding out hopes that Kondo will be available if the Fighters reach the postseason as one of the league's top three teams. However, the Fighters, who overcame an 11-1/2 game deficit to win the PL last season, are currently 9-1/2 games behind the third-place Seibu Lions.