Boston Red Sox right-hander Daisuke Matsuzaka was surprised Friday with the news that Seattle Mariners outfielder Ichiro Suzuki has been placed on the disabled list with an ulcer.
"You're kidding!," Matsuzaka said when he heard the news from reporters. "It's stress related, isn't it? He must've been in that severe state (during the World Baseball Classic)."
Suzuki hit only .130 in six "packed" WBC exhibition games in Japan, and his struggle continued for much of the 16-nation tournament before a 4-for-6 performance in the March 23 final raised his batting average from .211 to .273.
During the WBC, the Mariners superstar often skipped rides with the team bus and arrived at stadiums early for batting practice to try to break out of his slump.