TOKYO (AP) — Daisuke Matsuzaka has dealt with numerous arm injuries during his career as a pitcher in Major League Baseball and Japan but none quite like this.
The Chunichi Dragons say Matsuzaka is experiencing pain in his right shoulder after an overzealous fan pulled his throwing arm during a fan event at spring training in Okinawa.
Matsuzaka was diagnosed with inflammation in his throwing arm as a result of the incident, and the Dragons on Tuesday told him not to throw for the time being.
The 38-year-old Matsuzaka has a history of arm trouble.
He returned to Japan from the major leagues in 2015 with the SoftBank Hawks but had surgery on the right shoulder that summer.