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Fantasy Baseball News & Updates
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At 36, Ichiro has started to slow down from the lightning speed he displayed when he first entered the Majors, with 26 marking his lowest career steals output. Of course, that won't matter much if he sustains his nine-year run of 200 hits and keeps challenging for the batting crown every year. He's an elite fantasy outfielder, plain and simple.
Yet another mutli-hit appearance for Ichiro, who has three in his last four games. He has an ML-high 73 multi-hit contests and his .352 batting average would top the AL if it weren't for Joe Mauer and his .366 figure.
Ichiro was thrown out for the first time in his nearly nine-year career after disputing a called third strike. It was just the second hitless effort in 14 contests for the ML's second-leading batsman. His .353 batting average is topped only by Joe Mauer's .370 mark. Bill Hall switched from left to right field to cover for Ichiro while Michael Saunders came into the game in left field.
Make that two straight game-winning hits for the surging Japanese import, who has been on an absolute tear in the lead-up to, and come-down from, notching his ninth straight season of 200 hits. On the year, the highly-skilled raker is second in the Majors in batting average with a smoking .357 with 82 runs scored and 25 steals.
Ichiro has been ridiculously consistent throughout his nine-year career, finishing with a .300-plus batting average in all nine campaigns and topping .350 three times. With a .353 batting average after Sunday's action, he stands a good chance of making it four.
Much was made of Ichiro's 2-for-18 skid entering the day, but a player with his contact skills and speed isn't going to be kept off the bases for long. The two hits bumped his average up to .355 and left him two shy of 200 for the season.
Four hits away from becoming the first big leaguer to reach 200 for the ninth straight season, Suzuki appears to be pressing. He's fanned seven times in his last six games, highly uncharacteristic of a guy who sports a .354 average and whose biggest strength lies in his ability to make contact. History says it's only a matter of time before he rounds into form.
Ichiro racked up his sixth straight game with at least one hit, including his fourth game in September with multiple base hits. The right fielder's .363 batting average stands just four points behind AL leader Joe Mauer, so Ichiro is clearly in play for his third career batting title.
Would you expect anything less than a multi-hit outing in this guy's return to the lineup? The pair of hits, which accounted for Ichiro's ML-leading 61st multiple-hit game, put him 14 away from his ninth consecutive 200-hit campaign. His leg clearly feeling better, owners can bank on the speedster delivering his usual stellar numbers over the final month of the regular season.
Typically a durable player throughout his nine-year career, Ichiro had lobbied to play during the weekend. He's a good bet to continue pumping out multi-hit games upon his return, as the outfielder has a ML-high 60 multiple hit performances.
Although he's not expected to go on the DL, there is no timetable for Ichiro's return. There remains a chance that he'll take batting practice Thursday, although even that isn't a sure bet. It's best to scout backup outfield options as the outfielder tends to his injury.
A sore left calf has been bothering Ichiro for almost a week and it got so bad on Aug. 23 in Cleveland that he was unable to run out a grounder. He missed the final inning of that game and the first two games of the three-game series against the Athletics. "I just talked to him in the training room and he feels better today," manager Don Wakamatsu said prior to Tuesday night's game. "He came out and moved around a little bit, but he did not run yet and I think it's still going to be a day-to-day." Until Ichiro actually goes through a full pre-game routine of hitting and running, his status would remain uncertain. Stay tuned.
This is the second time this season Ichiro has sat due to health issues, the first coming at the beginning of the season when he missed eight games with a bleeding ulcer. Don Wakamatsu said Ichiro had been playing through the tightness for about a week, which could explain why the speedy right fielder has collected only two steals this month. His calf won't force him to the disabled list, though, as he's listed as day-to-day and could return as early as Wednesday, Aug. 26.
While the 1-for-5 effort hit does little to aid Ichiro's mighty .363 average, at least it keeps him moving. With 24 steals, the speedy right fielder finds himself up against the clock having to beat out his season low of 31 swipes.
With a 10-game hit streak and counting, Suzuki is silencing all the skeptics who believed age would ultimately slow him down. While his stolen bases are down from years past, everything else is golden. His .366 average ranks second only to Joe Mauer, and he's closing in on his ninth straight 200-hit season, with 181.
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