Seattle Mariners place Hisashi Iwakuma on 15-day DL with lat strain
The Seattle Mariners have placed pitcher Hisashi Iwakuma on the disabled list Friday with a right latissmus dorsi strain, and will call up pitcher Lucas Luetge from Triple A Tacoma to take Iwakuma's roster spot, according to ESPN.
Mariners general manager Jack Zduriencik said Iwakuma felt shoulder fatigue following his last start, and felt it again Friday, according to the Seattle Times.
Iwakuma played catch earlier in the day on Friday, and manager Lloyd McClendon has recently expressed optimism that Iwakuma would bounce back from consecutive rough outings so far this season, according to the Seattle Times.
In 80 career starts for the Mariners over the last three and a half seasons, Iwakuma went 38-21 with a 3.18 ERA. But the 34 year old struggled in his first three starts of the 2015 season, going 0-1 and posting a 6.61 ERA.
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Iwakuma was scheduled to start on Sunday against Minnesota. Roenis Elias will now start in Iwakuma's place. He will undergo an MRI to determine the extent of the strain.
Luetge made 12 relief appearances for the Mariners last season, giving up five earned runs in nine innings. In five appearances for Tacoma so far this season, Luetge has pitched 8 1/3 innings and given up three earned runs.
- Will Green
