Akinori Iwamura injured his right leg during fielding practice and was taken to a hospital in Okayama for an MRI on Wednesday.  He was diagnosed with a strain in his right calf (inner triceps surae muscle) and will require four to six weeks for a full recovery.

The strain itself apparently is not that bad, but since it is a frequently used muscle, it will take some time to fully heal.  Iwamura will return to Sendai today and rest for about three days before beginning a rehab program.

Yosuke Takasu, Ginji, and Daisuke Kusano are amongst possible candidates to replace Iwamura on the roster at third.