Seoul: The Kiwoom Heroes, last-place team in South Korean baseball, were dealt an injury blow Wednesday, with their American outfielder Ruben Cardenas ruled out for six weeks with arm issues. Cardenas was removed from the active roster Monday due to pains in his right elbow. Further tests done Tuesday showed serious damage to his flexor muscle that will keep the player sidelined for six weeks.

According to Yonhap News Agency, teams in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) are allowed to sign temporary replacements for injured players out a minimum six weeks, and the Heroes have begun seeking a fill-in for Cardenas. In 53 games this season, Cardenas is batting .238/.342/.370 with five home runs and 25 RBIs. He went off to a blazing start in March, picking up an RBI in the first seven games of the season and finishing the month with a league-best 16 RBIs.

However, Cardenas cooled off considerably in April, with his season halted by a paternity leave. He recorded only four RBIs in 18 games that month. His struggles stretched into May, when he had five RBIs in 27 games while batting just .218.

This is Cardenas' second season in the KBO. Last year, he joined the Samsung Lions as a midseason replacement but only played in seven games due to a back injury. He was even accused of embellishing the severity of his condition.

The Heroes were the only team in the league to open the season with two foreign hitters and one foreign pitcher, with the nine other teams each carrying two pitchers and one position player from overseas. Cardenas and former National League All-Star Yasiel Puig were brought in to provide some thump for the lineup. But Puig was cut on May 19 after a sluggish start, and now Cardenas will be gone for over a month.

The Heroes entered Wednesday's action with the worst record in the league at 16-45-1 (wins-losses-ties). They are also dead last in team batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, and runs.