Mariners trainer '100 percent' confident Iwakuma's healthy
The Seattle Mariners will have a healthy Hisashi Iwakuma in their starting rotation next season when they strive to become American League West champions after a busy first offseason for general manager Jerry Dipoto.
Mariners trainer Rick Griffin said he was "100 percent" confident in the right-hander's health while speaking with reporters Thursday.
"I don't have any concerns," Griffin said. "Neither does our orthopedist or our physician - or we wouldn't have got him back. I don't know what happened there (with the Los Angeles Dodgers). I'm not going to speculate, but I'm glad that he’s back here."
Iwakuma re-signed with the Mariners in December after a reported three-year agreement with the Dodgers fell through due to concerns with his physical.
The 34-year-old battled injuries the past two seasons, which included a sprained finger in 2014 and a strained lat muscle in 2015. He was still able to throw a no-hitter last season, however - just the second of all time by a Japanese pitcher.
Iwakuma will slot into the team's rotation along with Felix Hernandez and Wade Miley, among others. He made 22 starts for the Mariners last season, posting an ERA of 3.54 and a WHIP of 1.06.
Across his four seasons in the big leagues, he owns a record of 47-25 with a 3.17 ERA in 111 games, 97 of which have been starts.