Seattle Mariners pitcher Hisashi Iwakuma could be back as soon as mid-May after surgery on his right shoulder.
Iwakuma made only six starts last season, going 0-2 with a 4.35 ERA. The problems with his pitching shoulder sent him to the disabled list in May and caused setbacks during his recovery.
The 36-year-old Iwakuma had debridement surgery on Sept. 29. The procedure removes dead, damaged, or infected tissue in an effort to improve the healing of healthy tissue.
“I’ve got my fingers crossed,” Mariners manager Scott Servais said Tuesday at baseball’s winter meetings. “He’s a huge asset and we'll hope for the best.