PEORIA, Ariz. — Could Ichiro Suzuki return home to the Seattle Mariners?

With Monday’s announcement that Ben Gamel has a strained oblique and will miss 4 to 6 weeks, the Mariners need outfield help. Plenty of outfielders are available.

Ichiro Suzuki has been working out in Japan since his spell with Miami ended, but reports say he may return to Seattle, where he played from 2001-12. Associated Press/Brynn Anderson

But Bob Nightengale of USA Today is reporting that the Mariners will bring back the 44-year-old Ichiro, a fan favorite.

He played for the Mariners from 2001-12, during which he was a 10-time All-Star selection and won 10 Gold Gloves. He was the 2001 American League MVP and Rookie of the Year, and in 2004 set the major-league season record for hits with 262.

Some news outlets in Japan also reported that the Mariners and Ichiro could reunite. Mariners sources declined to confirm Nightengale’s report.

TWINS: Right-hander Ervin Santana left spring training for New York to have his injured middle finger examined.

Santana, out until mid-to-late April following surgery on the finger, could have a cast removed.

“Hopefully he comes back lighter … with the cast off,” Manager Paul Molitor said.

Santana went 16-8 with a 3.28 ERA in 33 starts last season for the Twins, who earned an AL wild-card berth one year after losing 103 games.

RANGERS: Held out of the first 10 spring-training games, Adrian Beltre got hits in his first two at-bats of spring training.

“Last year I didn’t get a hit in spring training,” Beltre said. “How did that work?”

Beltre hit .312 with 17 homers and 71 RBI in 94 games last year after going 0 for 12 with four walks in the exhibition season.

CARDINALS: Shortstop Paul DeJong agreed to a $26 million, six-year contract, a deal that includes team options for 2024 and 2025.

DeJong, 24, made his major league debut May 28, and hit .285 with a team-high 25 homers and 65 RBI in 108 games. He was selected by St. Louis from Illinois State in the fourth round of the 2015 amateur draft.

NATIONALS: Outfielder Alejandro De Aza agreed to a minor-league contract to return to the team.

De Aza was a free agent and led off an exhibition game last week for a team of available big league players against Japanese amateurs in Bradenton, Florida.

RAYS-BRAVES: Tampa Bay traded infielder Ryan Schimpf to Atlanta for a player to be named or cash.

Schimpf was designated for assignment Saturday by Tampa Bay to clear room on the 40-man roster for free-agent outfielder Carlos Gomez, who signed a $4 million, one-year contract.

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