A sore calf and an errant pitch to the head have slowed Ichiro Suzuki in recent days, but Seattle Mariners manager Scott Servais remains optimistic that the 44-year-old won't have to open the season on the disabled list.
If all goes well, Servais said, Ichiro - who was held out of the lineup Saturday but has passed all concussions tests since taking that pitch off his head in a minor-league game Friday - will play in the Mariners' final two spring contests and be ready to go for Opening Day on Thursday.
"But I'm still very hopeful that Ichi will be fine and we'll get him in a couple games here (in Arizona)," Servais told MLB.com's Greg Johns. "It's not like he hasn't been in many Major League games, but the big thing is the health and hopefully he's good to go. He will stay with us and hopefully play a bunch in the last couple games."
Assuming he's good to go, Ichiro is expected to start in left field Thursday against the Cleveland Indians at Safeco Field.
Signed to a one-year, $750,000 deal earlier this month, Ichiro - who earned an American League MVP award, 10 All-Star nominations, and 10 Gold Gloves throughout his illustrious first stint with the Mariners - has yet to record a hit through four Cactus League games, going 0-for-7 with one walk and four strikeouts.
