Corey Anderson has been ruled out of the Black Caps Test series with Australia with a lingering back injury.
Anderson has been sidelined since June's tour of England, and hasn't been able to recover quickly enough.
The 24-year-old will be replaced by Northern Knights allrounder Mitchell Santner.
Black Caps selector Gavin Larsen said Anderson was behind recovery schedule and it would be a risk to play him on the tour.
"Corey hasn't been able to recover as quickly as we hoped and we've chosen not to try to rush him back," said Larsen.
"We've always said there were a number of checkpoints for him to meet before our departure date, and we're now in a position to confirm he's not ready.
"With that in mind, it's better for him to continue his rehabilitation at Lincoln."
Santner was first selected by the Black Caps for the tour of England, but missed the tour of Zimbabwe and South Africa after breaking his thumb in training.
Larsen said Santner's strong form for New Zealand A in their warm-up fixture series against Sri Lanka A sealed his selection.
"It's a good opportunity for him. We believe his left-arm spin will add some variety to our options and his batting is well-suited to the conditions expected across the Tasman."
The Blacks Caps leave for Australia on October 20, starting their tour with a warm-up game against the Prime Minister's XI on October 23.
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