The Toronto Blue Jays have placed left-hander Yusei Kikuchi on the 15-day injured list with a neck strain, the team said Thursday.
The 31-year-old former Seibu Lions star has struggled on the mound recently and was knocked out after just 2⅓ innings in his last start in Oakland on Tuesday.
His next scheduled start was Sunday in Seattle.
Kikuchi, in his fourth season in MLB, joined Toronto as a free agent in March after three years with the Seattle Mariners.
He has been part of the Toronto starting rotation since the start of the season but hit a slump in form last month.
He went 1-3 in June and saw his ERA balloon to 7.17 for the month as he struggled to consistently throw strikes.
He is 3.5 with a 5.12 ERA in 16 games this year.