Yomiuri Giants outfielder Yoshinobu Takahashi said Saturday he will have surgery for chronic back pain as early as next month.
Takahashi made his season debut only Friday, striking out in a pinch-hit appearance in the ninth inning of a 5-1 loss to the Hanshin Tigers.
"I've come this far in a long rehab assignment, but my back isn't good at all," Takahashi said at Koshien Stadium. "Before I played in a farm-team game, I had decided to undergo surgery if my condition didn't improve."
The 34-year-old, who has hit .300 or better in seven of the past 11 seasons, has been plagued with back problems in recent years.
Takahashi had to turn down an offer to play for Japan in the Beijing Olympic qualifying tournament two years ago and missed the Japan Series last year.
On Sunday, he will be removed from the active roster to prepare for the surgery.
Uchikawa sidelined
YOKOHAMA (Kyodo) The Yokohama BayStars removed first baseman-outfielder Seiichi Uchikawa from the active roster Saturday, citing virus-related intestinal inflammation.
Uchikawa, the 2008 Central League batting champion, has been hospitalized in Yokohama, but it is not yet clear when he will be released.
The 27-year-old missed two games from Thursday against the Hanshin Tigers after complaining of illness, which Yokohama chief trainer Yasushi Egawa said was probably due to food poisoning.
"We think it was food poisoning from something he had when he ate out. He has no fever but has symptoms of diarrhea. I think it will settle down by the beginning of next week and we plan to have him get back in shape in Yokosuka (at the farm team's training center)," Egawa said.
Uchikawa is currently batting .320, the second highest in the CL after Yomiuri Giants outfielder Alex Ramirez.