SEATTLE (AP) — Ichiro Suzuki was released Thursday by the Seattle Mariners and is transitioning into a front office role with the team, although he is not completely shutting the door on playing again.The Mariners announced that Suzuki was becoming a special assistant to the chairman effective immediately. The team said Suzuki will have an active presence with the team and assist with outfield play, base running and hitting.But nowhere in the announcement do they say the 44-year-old is retiring. Suzuki is in his 18th season and had appeared in 15 games this year for the Mariners. Suzuki started Wednesday night and went 0-for-3 with a walk and a run scored. He hit .205 in 44 at-bats and all nine of his hits this season were singles."We want to make sure we capture all of the value that Ichiro brings to this team off the field," Seattle general manager Jerry Dipoto said in a release. "This new role is a way to accomplish that. While it will evolve over time, the key is that Ichiro's presence... [More]

SEATTLE (AP) — Ichiro Suzuki is leaving the playing field and transitioning into a front office role with the Seattle Mariners, although he is not completely shutting the door on playing again.The Mariners announced Thursday that Suzuki was becoming a special assistant to the chairman effective immediately. The team says Suzuki will have an active presence with the team and assist with outfield play, base running and hitting.But nowhere in the announcement do they say the 44-year-old is retiring. Suzuki is in his 18th season and had appeared in 15 games this year for the Mariners. Suzuki started Wednesday night and went 0-for-3 with a walk and a run scored. He hit .205 in 44 at-bats and all nine of his hits this season were singles.Suzuki has spent parts of 13 seasons with the Mariners. He's also played for Miami and the New York Yankees.___More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Adrian Beltre of the Texas Rangers left a game against Oakland with a strained left hamstring after pulling up on his way to first base on a hit in the gap in right-center field.Beltre limped most of the way to first on a single that scored Shin-Soo Choo from first in the eighth inning Tuesday night. He immediately went to the locker room and was replaced by pinch-runner Drew Robinson.The Rangers say the veteran third baseman will be re-evaluated Wednesday.The 39-year-old Beltre is in his 21st season and is one of two active players with 3,000 hits, along with Seattle's Ichiro Suzuki. The single that scored Choo was the Beltre's second hit of the game and 3,075th of his career, 23rd on the all-time list.___More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — The Seattle Mariners have recalled right-hander Erasmo Ramirez from a rehab assignment at Triple-A Tacoma to make his season debut starting the series finale at Texas.Ramirez didn't appear in a spring training game and started the season on the disabled list because of a strained right lat.Seattle made the move before Sunday's game. Guillermo Heredia, one of five outfielders that had been on the roster, was optioned to Tacoma to make room on the 25-man roster.The remaining outfielders are Dee Gordon, Mitch Haniger, Ben Gamel and Ichiro Suzuki. The 44-year-old Ichiro was hitting .212 with seven singles and no walks in his 11 games before starting Sunday in right field.Heredia was hitting .310 with two homers in 16 games.Texas activated center fielder Delino DeShields from the 10-day DL and put Carlos Tocci on the DL with a hip issue.___More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball

April 231903 — The New York Highlanders won their first game as a major league team, 7-2 over the Washington Senators.1913 — New York Giants ace Christy Mathewson beat the Phillies 3-1, throwing just 67 pitches.1939 — Rookie Ted Williams went 4-for-5, including his first major league home run, but the Red Sox lost to Philadelphia 12-8 at Fenway Park.1946 — Ed Head of the Brooklyn Dodgers no-hit the Boston Braves 5-0 at Ebbets Field. Head was making his first start after a year's military service.1952 — Bob Feller of the Cleveland Indians and Bob Cain of the St. Louis Browns matched one-hitters. Cain wound up as the winner, 1-0.1952 — Hoyt Wilhelm of the Giants hit a home run at the Polo Grounds in his first major league at-bat. He was the winner, too, and pitched 1,070 games in the majors — but never hit another homer.1954 — Hank Aaron hit the first home run of his major league career. The drive came against Vic Raschi in the Milwaukee Braves' 7-5 victory over St. Louis.1962 — After an... [More]

SEATTLE (AP) — The Seattle Mariners are going with five outfielders for now after recalling Ben Gamel from Triple-A Tacoma and optioning left-handed pitcher Ariel Miranda back to the minors.Seattle's roster shuffling finally allowed a chance for Gamel to rejoin the club Wednesday. Gamel was sidelined by a strained oblique during spring training.He started his rehab assignment on April 5 and hit a combined .286 with five RBIs in 10 games at Single-A Modesto and Tacoma. Gamel was Seattle's projected starting left fielder but the injury ultimately led to the club signing Ichiro Suzuki during spring training. Suzuki has split time in left field with Guillermo Heredia through the first three weeks of the season.The decision to option Miranda will mean Seattle has five outfielders — Gamel, Heredia, Suzuki, Dee Gordon and Mitch Haniger — for now.___More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball

TOKYO (AP) — Shohei Ohtani's games are shown live in the morning by national broadcaster NHK. For the rest of the day, talk shows dissect his every move and sports programs feature highlights of his latest accomplishments.A recent afternoon news program in Tokyo dedicated an entire segment to everything Ohtani, with a panel of guests discussing such intricate details as his lack of a drivers' license and the fact he has a personal chef.News of Ohtani's phenomenal start to his Major League Baseball career is ubiquitous in Japan. His image graces the cover of Number Magazine, Japan's version of Sports Illustrated, and just about every sports newspaper in the country.So far, the 23-year-old two-way star has exceeded everyone's expectations, winning both of his starts as a pitcher and hitting homers in three consecutive games. Last Sunday, he allowed just one hit in seven shutout innings as the Los Angeles Angels beat the Oakland Athletics 6-1.On Friday, Ohtani batted seventh as the designated... [More]

TOKYO (AP) — Shohei Ohtani's games are shown live in the morning by national broadcaster NHK. For the rest of the day, talk shows dissect his every move and sports programs feature highlights of his latest accomplishments.A recent afternoon news program in Tokyo dedicated an entire segment to everything Ohtani, with a panel of guests discussing such intricate details as his lack of a drivers' license and the fact he has a personal chef.News of Ohtani's phenomenal start to his Major League Baseball career is ubiquitous in Japan. His image graces the cover of Number Magazine, Japan's version of Sports Illustrated, and just about every sports newspaper in the country.So far, the 23-year-old two-way star has exceeded everyone's expectations, winning both of his starts as a pitcher and hitting homers in three consecutive games. On Sunday, he allowed just one hit in seven shutout innings as the Los Angeles Angels beat the Oakland Athletics 6-1.Japan had become somewhat blase about sending its... [More]

HOUSTON (AP) — Charlie Morton pitched six scoreless innings, Marwin Gonzalez homered and the Houston Astros unveiled their World Series banner before defeating the Baltimore Orioles 6-1 on Monday night in their home opener.Morton (1-0) allowed three hits and struck out six. The right-hander picked up where he left off after getting the final 12 outs in Game 7 against the Dodgers to help secure Houston's first championship.Brad Peacock pitched a perfect seventh and Will Harris allowed one hit in the eighth before Collin McHugh took over. The starter-turned-reliever allowed a homer to Trey Mancini and a double to Colby Rasmus before retiring the last three batters.Baltimore has dropped three straight after winning its opener. Orioles starter Chris Tillman (0-1) was tagged for seven hits and four runs in four-plus innings.DIAMONDBACKS 8, DODGERS 7, 15 INNINGSPHOENIX (AP) — Chris Owings hit a three-run homer off All-Star closer Kenley Jansen with two outs in the bottom of the ninth to force... [More]

HOUSTON (AP) — Charlie Morton pitched six scoreless innings, Marwin Gonzalez homered and the Houston Astros unveiled their World Series banner before defeating the Baltimore Orioles 6-1 on Monday night in their home opener.Morton (1-0) allowed three hits and struck out six. The right-hander picked up where he left off after getting the final 12 outs in Game 7 against the Dodgers to help secure Houston's first championship.Brad Peacock pitched a perfect seventh and Will Harris allowed one hit in the eighth before Collin McHugh took over. The starter-turned-reliever allowed a homer to Trey Mancini and a double to Colby Rasmus before retiring the last three batters.Baltimore has dropped three straight after winning its opener. Orioles starter Chris Tillman (0-1) was tagged for seven hits and four runs in four-plus innings.RED SOX 7, MARLINS 3MIAMI (AP) — Brian Johnson gave the Red Sox their fifth solid start in five games, allowing one run in six innings.All five Boston starters have allowed... [More]

When Ian Happ hit the first pitch the 2018 baseball season for a home run, he gave opening day an immediate highlight — but the Chicago outfielder's shot wasn't a total surprise.Gone are the days when leadoff batters were supposed to be speedy singles hitters. Now players like Happ — who had 24 homers and only eight stolen bases last year — fit the mold.There's no longer much debate about the importance of on-base percentage, especially at the top of the lineup. It helps to have baserunners when the power hitters in the middle of the order come up — and stolen bases can actually be more useful at the bottom of the order, as a way of manufacturing runs with weaker hitters. While it's still nice to have some speed in the No. 1 spot, it's by no means a requirement.Happ's home run gave the Cubs an instant 1-0 lead over Miami, and Houston's George Springer also hit a leadoff homer against Texas on Thursday. Even with the speedy Jose Altuve on the roster, Springer was the Astros' main leadoff... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Kenta Maeda struck out 10 over five innings, and the Los Angeles Dodgers finally found their offense to beat the San Francisco Giants 5-0 on Saturday night for their first win of the season.After striking out 18 times in a pair of 1-0 defeats to open the season, the Dodgers got the loudest cheers in the first inning for a sacrifice fly by Yasiel Puig that scored their first run off Derek Holland (0-1). Matt Kemp followed with an RBI single to make it 2-0.Maeda (1-0) allowed five hits and walked one. He faced baserunners in every inning except the fifth.Joe Panik, whose solo homers beat the Dodgers in the first two games, hit into a game-ending double play in the ninth.BREWERS 7, PADRES 3SAN DIEGO (AP) — Christian Yelich tied his career high with five hits, leading the Brewers to a sweep of their season-opening series.Yelich scored three times and drove in two runs as Milwaukee improved to 3-0 for the first time since it won its first five games in 2006. Lorenzo Cain had... [More]

CINCINNATI (AP) — Adam Eaton had solo homer among his career-high five hits and Brian Goodwin hit his first career grand slam on Saturday, powering the Washington Nationals to a 13-7 victory over the Cincinnati Reds.The Nationals have won their first two games under new manager Dave Martinez, hired after Dusty Baker was fired last season following another quick exit in the playoffs. The last time they opened a season 3-0 was 2013, when they swept the Marlins.Matt Adams and Trea Turner also homered for Washington.Stephen Strasburg (1-0) gave up three runs — only one earned — in 6 1/3 innings while improving to 5-1 career against Cincinnati. Scott Schebler's homer in the fourth inning provided Cincinnati's first run of the season after 12 scoreless innings.The Nationals piled up six runs in six innings off Luis Castillo (0-1), the Reds' top young starter last season.BLUE JAYS 5, YANKEES 3TORONTO (AP) — Yangervis Solarte hit a tiebreaking homer in the eighth inning of Toronto's first win of... [More]

CINCINNATI (AP) — Adam Eaton had solo homer among his career-high five hits and Brian Goodwin hit his first career grand slam on Saturday, powering the Washington Nationals to a 13-7 victory over the Cincinnati Reds.The Nationals have won their first two games under new manager Dave Martinez, hired after Dusty Baker was fired last season following another quick exit in the playoffs. The last time they opened a season 3-0 was 2013, when they swept the Marlins.Matt Adams and Trea Turner also homered for Washington.Stephen Strasburg (1-0) gave up three runs — only one earned — in 6 1/3 innings while improving to 5-1 career against Cincinnati. Scott Schebler's homer in the fourth inning provided Cincinnati's first run of the season after 12 scoreless innings.The Nationals piled up six runs in six innings off Luis Castillo (0-1), the Reds' top young starter last season.BLUE JAYS 5, YANKEES 3TORONTO (AP) — Yangervis Solarte hit a tiebreaking homer in the eighth inning of Toronto's first win of... [More]

SEATTLE (AP) — The lingering question of whether Ichiro Suzuki would be ready for opening day was solved on Wednesday.Yes, he'll be on the Seattle Mariners 25-man roster, despite a lingering calf injury. And, yes, he'll be in left field on Thursday night when the Mariners open the season hosting the Cleveland Indians."It was a crazy spring for him getting in late and having a little setback with the calf injury but I think he showed us enough here the last couple of days that he can get out there, run around and help us out a little bit," Seattle manager Scott Servais said. "As I said when we brought him in he'll hit at the bottom of the lineup, he'll help in a number of different ways. But obviously he'll be in the lineup tomorrow night."This isn't turn back the clock night, although the nostalgia will be thick — let alone the challenge of facing Cleveland ace Corey Kluber and one of the powerhouse clubs in the American League. It'll be Suzuki's first regular season game in a Seattle uniform... [More]

Shohei Ohtani has a starting assignment, and the Los Angeles Dodgers have a mess on their hands.With the regular season set to begin Thursday, the Angels scheduled Ohtani to make his major league pitching debut Sunday in their fourth game at Oakland. The two-way sensation from Japan is expected to be Los Angeles' designated hitter in at least one of the first three games, but manager Mike Scioscia said Tuesday night the team hadn't decided on an opening-day lineup yet.The 23-year-old Ohtani, who struggled in spring training, was told after the exhibition finale against the Dodgers that he'll pitch Sunday."He's gotten into the mid-80-pitch range and should be able to get over 90 if he's throwing to his capabilities," Scioscia said. "That's plenty of pitches for him to get deep into the game. We're going to take it one pitch at a time with all of our pitchers."Ohtani was supposed to get an at-bat or two Tuesday night but that didn't happen because the game was called in the bottom of the... [More]

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — The Seattle Mariners are monitoring Ichiro Suzuki's strained right calf to determine whether he'll be on the opening day roster or the disabled list.Suzuki went 0 for 3 with a walk and played seven innings in left field Tuesday in the 5-2 victory over the Colorado Rockies."I don't think he's quite at 100 percent yet," Mariners manager Scott Servais said. "He's moving much better. He feels better out there. We'll see how he feels tomorrow and make a decision from there."Suzuki is hitless in 10 at-bats with two walks and five strikeouts since signing on March 7."Unfortunately the leg injury with Ichiro slowed him down in the number of at-bats he can get and the comfort level he's got," Servais said. "It's more about just getting him healthy and making sure he's good to go when the bell rings on Thursday. The leg is what worries me, making sure he can move around and there's nothing he's guarding against in left field. Being able to cover the ground, he needs to get... [More]

Robinson Cano dreamed as a kid of going to bat with the bases loaded, two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning in Game 7 of the World Series and hitting a home run.There was also a milestone number that seemed so improbable: 3,000 hits."You dream one day what if feels like to win an MVP, to be an All-Star, to win a Gold Glove" said Cano, the Seattle Mariners' second baseman. "When you're a kid, you think, 'I wish I could get 3,000 one day.' ... It's one of those things that once you get to the big leagues you know how hard it is, and then you understand at the same time there are not too many guys that get 3,000 hits. It's hard."Just how hard?There are only 31 players who have done it. And the only two active in the majors are 44-year-old outfielder Ichiro Suzuki, back with Seattle; and Texas Rangers third baseman Adrian Beltre, the 3,000-hit club's newest member .And that milestone could be becoming even more elusive."Longevity is one thing," said A.J. Hinch, manager of the World Series... [More]

Baseball begins again with every team opening on the same day for the first time since 1968. Here are a handful of dates to mark on the calendar:THURSDAY, MARCH 29San Francisco Giants at Los Angeles Dodgers: The earliest domestic start in baseball history features one of the game's best rivalries. Clayton Kershaw makes his record eighth opening-day start for the NL champion Dodgers after going 18-4 with a 2.31 ERA in 27 starts last year. He takes on a much more challenging lineup after the Giants acquired Evan Longoria and Andrew McCutchen in a pair of offseason trades. It's the first opener between the clubs since 2013.MONDAY, APRIL 2Baltimore Orioles at Houston Astros: Reigning AL MVP Jose Altuve and the Astros celebrate the franchise's first championship before their home opener against Adam Jones and the Orioles. The Astros outlasted the Dodgers in a seven-game World Series last fall, and they might be even better this year after acquiring right-hander Gerrit Cole in a January trade... [More]

TOKYO (AP) — Former major league infielder Munenori Kawasaki is likely to retire after being released by his Japanese club on Monday.In a statement released by the Softbank Hawks, the 36-year-old infielder said a series of injuries has prevented him from being the player he wanted to be.Kawasaki spent five seasons in Major League Baseball with the Seattle Mariners, Toronto Blue Jays and Chicago Cubs. His post-game interviews in broken English became an internet sensation during that time.His best season in the majors was in 2013 when he had 55 hits and drove in 24 runs for the Blue Jays.A light-hitting infielder, Kawasaki went to the Mariners in 2012 and was briefly teammates with his idol Ichiro Suzuki.Kawasaki became a fan favorite and YouTube sensation with a post-game interview in Toronto in 2013 that began "Thank you very much. My name is Munenori Kawasaki. I come from Japan. I am Japaneeeeese!!"Following the Chicago Cubs' 2016 World Series championship, Kawasaki joined Daisuke Matsuzaka and Koji Uehara as the only Japanese players to have won championships in the World Baseball Classic, Japan Series and World Series.In Japan, Kawasaki scored 653 runs, had 27 home runs and 373 RBIs with a .292 average over 1187 games