Daisuke Matsuzaka's comeback season in Japan is in jeopardy due to shoulder issues, an informed source said Thursday.
After Matsuzaka discussed the issue with first-year Fukuoka Softbank Hawks manager Kimiyasu Kudo and others, the team decided to shut the 34-year-old right-hander down indefinitely citing shoulder fatigue.
"After I throw it feels like the fatigue lasts longer than usual," Matsuzaka said.
According to trainer Kazuhiko Tanaka, careful examination of an MRI scan revealed no inflammation. Earlier in March, Matsuzaka was sidelined due to a bout with influenza. He had been doing some light work since returning to the bullpen on Sunday.
"It's (now) a matter of resting, checking it out every day and then hopefully getting on some kind of schedule," Matsuzaka said.
Matsuzaka, who last pitched for a Japanese club in 2006, signed a three-year deal in December valued at an estimated ¥1.2 billion ($10 million) with additional performance-based incentives.
Kudo, who won 224 games in a pitching career that lasted until 2010, said, "For a pitcher, a shoulder is his lifeline. If you watch these things, they don't get better in just one week. If there's something strange, no one's going to know that but him."