If you were expecting or hoping to see Ichiro Suzuki reach 3,000 hits this week at Citizens Bank Park, don't hold your breath.
Just six hits shy of reaching baseball's prestigious milestone, Ichiro has three more games in South Philly this week. And while he's been vintage Ichiro this season, hitting .345, it's the Marlins who probably won't allow it to happen away from Miami.
The Marlins, always starved for attendance, are back home Friday. When they initially signed Ichiro prior to 2015, some saw it as a way for them to drum up interest and get butts in seats when he eventually reached 3,000.
From a baseball standpoint, it wouldn't even look fishy if the Fish sat Ichiro, who grounded out and walked in a reserve role on Monday night (see game recap), for most of this series. Their outfield of Giancarlo Stanton, Marcell Ozuna and Christian Yelich is producing at the moment, with Stanton getting hot right before the All-Star break, Ozuna representing them in San Diego and Yelich posting a .396 on-base percentage. Ichiro's most regular playing time came earlier in the season when Yelich and Stanton were both dealing with injuries.
Ichiro still could get to 3,000 against the Phillies, though. The Phils are in Miami for a three-game series next Monday to Wednesday, July 25-27.