NAGOYA – Veteran Chunichi Dragons outfielder Kazuhiro Wada will be sidelined for more than a month after breaking a bone in his right wrist, he said Thursday.

The 42-year-old Wada is 15 hits shy of Japan’s elite 2,000 mark. He was hit by a pitch on the right thumb during Wednesday night’s game against the Hiroshima Carp and was diagnosed with a break of the navicular bone, the largest bone on the thumb side of the wrist.

“It will have to be immobilized (in a cast) for four to six weeks,” Wada said. “And I won’t be able to swing a bat during that time.

“If I could be back in a month, I would, but it’s going to depend on my condition. At any rate, I’ll make the maximum effort to return as soon as possible.”

The right-handed hitter is currently batting .281 with 16 home runs and 65 runs batted in. Chunichi is currently fourth in the league, 4-1/2 games back of the league-leading Yomiuri Giants.