Wedge: Ichiro Suzuki will bat third this year
Ichiro Suzuki - OF - Seattle Mariners
Feb. 28, 2012 - 1:50 AM ET
Mariners skipper Eric Wedge announced Tuesday that Ichiro Suzuki will bat third this season.
Ichiro has hit leadoff in 1,722 of the 1,749 major league games he has played. But the 38-year-old Japanese outfielder posted a poor .310 on-base percentage across 721 plate appearances last season. If his numbers don't improve overall in 2012, he could slip down further than third. Chone Figgins will be given a shot this spring to fill the massive vacancy atop Seattle's batting order. Dustin Ackley seems likely to bat second most games.
Source: Seattle Mariners on Twitter