With Mariners thin in outfield, Ichiro could return to club
The Seattle Mariners are running out of healthy outfielders. To the rescue — Ichiro?
Ben Gamel will miss Opening Day, the Mariners said Monday, because of a strained oblique muscle that’s expected to sideline him four to six weeks.
That could open a spot for Ichiro Suzuki, and a deal with the Mariners might be close.
Suzuki was the American League Most Valuable Player and Rookie of the Year for Seattle in 2001 and remained a fan favorite until he was traded away in 2012. Suzuki, 44, spent the past four seasons in Miami, batting .255 last year and starting 23 times in the outfield.
Gamel hit .275 with 11 home runs and 59 RBIs in 134 games last year during his first full season in the majors.
The Mariners were hopeful Gamel would miss only a few days, but an MRI showed a more extensive problem. He first felt the injury after batting practice late last week.
Gamel joined a growing list of bangedup Mariners. Seattle has already seen first baseman Ryon Healy (hand), outfielder Mitch Haniger (hand) and pitcher Felix Hernandez (bruised forearm) slowed by injuries during spring training.
Outfielder Guillermo Heredia is still recovering from offseason shoulder surgery, leaving Seattle thin at the position. Rays trade INF Schimpf to Braves: Tampa Bay traded infielder Ryan Schimpf to Atlanta for a player to be named or cash.
The Rays announced the deal Monday, two days after Schimpf was designated for assignment to clear room on the 40-man roster for free-agent outfielder Carlos Gomez, who signed a one-year, $4 million contract.
Schimpf, 29, began last season as the San Diego Padres’ starting third baseman and batted .158 with 14 homers and 25 RBIs in 53 games. The Rays acquired him in December for a minor leaguer. Cardinals, DeJong agree to deal: Less than a year after making his big league debut, Paul DeJong was rewarded with a long-term deal.
The shortstop and St. Louis agreed to a six-year, $26 million contract, a deal that includes team options for 2024 and 2025.
“It gives me a sense of security, just knowing that I’m going to be here and kind of just confirms my thoughts about wanting to be a Cardinal for my life,” DeJong said. “To me to be able to sign a potentially eight year deal just seems like I’m cementing myself in the Cardinals organization. I don’t ever want to leave.”
The 24-year-old made his major league debut May 28 and hit .285 with a team-high 25 homers and 65 RBIs in 108 games. He was selected by St. Louis from Illinois State in the fourth round of the 2015 amateur draft. De Aza returns to Nationals: Outfielder Alejandro De Aza agreed to a minor league contract to return to Washington.
De Aza, a former Oriole, was a free agent and led off an exhibition game last week for a team of available big league players against Japanese amateurs in Bradenton, Fla.
He spent time last season with Washington’s Triple-A Syracuse affiliate and was called up to the majors in August when outfielder Brian Goodwin went on the disabled list. De Aza hit .194 in 62 at-bats for the Nationals in 2017.