Mariners' Iwakuma to miss 2-4 weeks with strained muscle

SEATTLE (AP) Seattle Mariners pitcher Hisashi Iwakuma has a strained muscle just under his right arm and is expected to miss two to four weeks.

Iwakuma was placed on the 15-day disabled list on Friday. He felt discomfort on Tuesday, a day after his start against Houston and an MRI showed he had a strained right latissimus dorsi, a muscle which connects the back to the arm.

Iwakuma is 0-1 with a 6.61 ERA in three starts this season. He has yielded five home runs in 16 1-3 innings. Opposing hitters have a .308 average against him. Hitters had a combined average of .235 in his first three seasons with Seattle. (2012-2014).

''As I was playing catch, long-toss, I felt good, but toward the end ... I kind of felt some discomfort,'' Iwakuma said through an interpreter. ''It's not pain, but it's just discomfort. We're kind of being careful after that.''

He had a bullpen session Friday, felt it again and that's when the club decided to place him on the DL.

''It's a mild strain,'' he said. ''I'm allowed to play catch starting next Friday so hopefully two, three weeks I should be able to pitch. I'm being optimistic.''

Iwakuma threw 71 pitches in his 5 1-3 innings Monday against the Astros. He gave up five hits, four runs - two home runs - walked no one and struck out three.

The Mariners called up left-hander Lucas Luetge to take his place on the roster.

This is the third season that the right-hander, who turned 34 on April 12, has been hampered by injuries.