The 2023 World Baseball Classic is closer than ever and Japan are one of the big favorites, but one of their best players will be unavailable due to injury.
Most of the Japanese players play in Japan, but some like Yu Darvish are known MLB players and most of them will be available to play with the national team.
The last time Japan won a World Baseball Classic was during the 2009 edition and for the current 2023 edition they automatically qualified as hosts in what will be their 4th appearance in the classic.
Which player will not be available to play for Japan in the 2023 WBC?
Although the Japanese are big favorites with a strong roster they will not have Seiya Suzuki available due to an oblique injury. Usually this type of injury, if it is not serious, heals in a few days, but when it is a severe injury, the baseball player could take 3-4 months to heal completely.
Seiya Suzuki was supposed to be one of the Japan's national baseball team outfielders during the 2023 WBC, but now that he is unavailable team's manager Hideki Kuriyama must find another player.
Japan's first game in the 2023 WBC will be against China at the Tokyo Dome on March 9, 2023, after that game they must play against South Korea, Czech Republic and Australia to finish the group stage.