Volts coach Vaughn Johnson has named his side for a series of warm-up games against Canterbury in Rangiora beginning on Monday, and experienced pace bowler Ian Butler and promising left-armer Blair Soper have been sidelined through injury.
Butler has rolled an ankle and Soper has an injured hand.
However, neither is expected to be sidelined for too long.
The third seamer, long-serving medium pacer Warren McSkimming, who was not contracted this season, is taking a break to get established in his new job as an area sales manager for Tru-Test.
Johnson hopes McSkimming will return to club cricket early next month and be available for provincial selection after Christmas.
McSkimming's job takes him deep into rural Otago and he has been hard to reach for comment.
However, he said by text message he would be in touch when he had "some news".
McSkimming has taken 238 wickets in 67 first-class games for Otago at an average of 24.40.
It is an exceptional record and Johnson has no intention of letting him slip quietly into retirement.
"We've planned for Warren to return to club cricket and he should get in about five or six Saturdays before Christmas.
"At that stage we'll make some sort of call about playing some first-class cricket after Christmas.
"Work is a priority for Warren at the moment but he has played a lot of cricket for Otago and he certainly won't be drifting out the side door.
"It is important for us to see him off the right way, if this is his last season."
Otago and Canterbury will play a two-day game on Monday and Tuesday, and a one-day game and two twenty/20 fixtures on Wednesday and Thursday.
When the sides meet again a week later, it is in the opening round of the Plunket Shield.
The season is starting earlier this year and Johnson said ideally, Otago would have had more time together, but it was the same for every team.
Otago team
to play warm-up games
Derek de Border (captain), Aaron Redmond, Hamish Rutherford, Michael Bracewell, Neil Broom, Darren Broom, Sam Wells, Jimmy Neesham, Mark Craig, Neil Wagner, Nick Beard, James McMillan, Jacob Duffy.
