Hanshin Tigers second baseman Hiroki Uemoto has a cracked left hip bone, the Central League club announced Friday.
The 29-year-old infielder, in his second season as a regular, suffered a crack in the left iliac bone on Tuesday while making a diving catch. Uemoto sat out Wednesday's game and was deactivated on Thursday.
"It looks like this is going to take some time," Tigers manager Yutaka Wada said.
The team said Uemoto began his rehabilitation at a hospital in Nishinomiya, Hyogo Prefecture, on Friday. He has played in 95 games this season with a .250 batting average, 40 runs and 26 RBIs.