Seattle’s Hisashi Iwakuma goes on DL, leaves hole in Mariners rotation

Seattle right-hander Hisashi Iwakuma was placed on the 15-day disabled list before Friday’s series opener against Minnesota because of a right lat strain, leaving a hole in the Mariners’ rotation. Seattle did not announce who would replace Iwakuma, who was scheduled to start Sunday. He was on the DL retroactive to April 21.

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Bernie Williams, who played all of his 16-year major league career with the New York Yankees, threw out the ceremonial first pitch Friday night, and the team announced it will retire the four-time Gold Glove outfielder’s No. 51 in a ceremony May 24. Williams, who last played in 2006, also officially signed his retirement papers.

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New York Mets closer Bobby Parnell’s rehabilitation from last year’s Tommy John surgery has been halted for a week because of right forearm soreness. Mets General Manager Sandy Alderson said that team medical director Dr. David Altchek found nothing wrong with the right-hander’s surgically repaired pitching elbow, but Parnell will not throw for five more days before being reevaluated. Parnell was on an injury rehabilitation assignment with Class-A St. Lucie.

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For the next 10 days, at least, 41-year-old Ichiro Suzuki will continue to fill in for Miami Marlins left fielder Christian Yelich, who was placed on the 15-day disabled list because of a lower back strain.

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Marlins pitcher Jose Fernandez, a native of Santa Clara, Cuba, who arrived in the U.S. in 2008, became a U.S. citizen and was the keynote speaker during a ceremony in which he and 140 fellow new citizens in South Florida were sworn in.

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The Baltimore Orioles placed infielder Ryan Flaherty on the 15-day DL because of a right groin strain he sustained while running the bases on the final play in a 4-2 loss to Toronto on Wednesday night.