Ichiro on DL to open season... - Revolution42's Blog

Revolution42's Blog

Ichiro on DL to open season...

Posted on April 3, 2009 at 07:10 PM.

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Bad news for the Mariners and Ms fans....with the hopes of an immediate turn around from last season....several free agent signings and a management overhaul...the Mariners best player and arguably one of the best all around players in the game is suffering from a bleeding ulcer....for the first time in nine seasons, the Mariners will play a regular-season opener without Ichiro Suzuki in the lineup.

The right fielder was placed on the 15-day disabled list on Friday after being diagnosed with a bleeding ulcer.
The bleeding has stopped and he had a light workout at the Peoria Sports Complex on Friday, but club officials already had decided to put the eight-time All-Star on the disabled list for the first time in his Major League career.
Manager Don Wakamatsu said early Friday afternoon that he is leaning towards putting left-handed hitting Endy Chavez in the leadoff spot in Monday night's regular-season opener against the Twins in Minneapolis. Chavez batted leadoff in two of the three games Ichiro missed, going 6-for-7, scoring three runs and driving in five runs.
Chavez entered Friday night's game batting .500 (16-for-32) this spring.
Another option was to put right-handed hitting Franklin Gutierrez in the leadoff spot against Twins left-hander Francisco Liriano.
"To get to the bottom of this, and find out why he has been so tired, is a good thing for Ichiro and the ballclub," he said. "Without a doubt this has been an emotional few days and no one wants to play more than Ichiro does."
Wakamatsu said earlier in the week that he thought Suzuki had been worn out physically and mentally because of the three-week World Baseball Classic.
Ichiro's status was listed as day-to-day, but it became apparent each passing that he would benefit more by taking some time off to rest and recuperate.
"It was a very difficult decision to place Ichiro on the disabled list," general manager Jack Zduriencik said, "especially since we know what a fierce competitor he is, and how important it is to him to help the team. However, we determined it was in both his best interest, and the best interest of the club, to place him on the DL at this time."
Ichiro would be eligible to be activated on April 15, the day after the Mariners play their regular-season home opener against the Angels at Safeco Field.
Ichiro, who helped Team Japan win the Classic for the second time, joined the Mariners on March 26 and played four Cactus League games. But he complained of being light-headed prior to Monday's game against the Brewers. He played three innings before leaving the game and missed the final three games played in Arizona.
While the team plays games against the Rockies on Friday night and Saturday afternoon in Las Vegas, Ichiro will remain in Peoria until further notice. Club officials are still contemplating leaving him Peoria for a few more days or have him return to Seattle to await the team's return from a seven-game road trip against the Twins and Athletics. A .331 career hitter with the Mariners, Ichiro has played in at least 157 games every year he has been with the Seattle Mariners. So...thats leaves us with......Ichiro on the DL and no left handed relief pitching to start the season.....I am sure this is not what the Ms or Ms fans envisioned for the start of a rebuilding season.