Hiroshima Carp outfielder Tomonori Maeda was taken off the 28-man active roster with an injured left ankle, officials of the Central League club said Monday.
Maeda, currently batting .302 with 49 hits and 21 RBIs, will require at least three weeks to recover and most likely will not be reactivated before the All-Star game which gets under way July 12 at the Tokyo Dome.
Maeda sustained the injury in batting practice before a game against the Chunichi Dragons on Sunday. He was diagnosed with torn ligaments in the left ankle after undergoing a detailed examination at a Hiroshima city hospital.
Taguchi demoted
So Taguchi, who was called up from Triple-A Memphis last week and was 0-for-4 in four games with the St. Louis Cardinals, was sent back to the minor leagues after taking part in team practice Sunday.