LAS VEGAS -- For the first time in nine seasons, the Mariners will play a regular-season opener without Ichiro Suzuki in the lineup.

But the eight-time All-Star didn't go down without a fight.

He tried to talk the Mariners into letting him be with the team when the club opens the regular season Monday night against the Twins. But, despite his best efforts, the right fielder was placed on the 15-day disabled list after being diagnosed with a bleeding ulcer.

The bleeding has stopped and Ichiro went through a light workout at the Peoria Sports Complex on Friday, but club officials decided to put their leadoff hitter on the disabled list for the first time in his Major League career.

General manager Jack Zduriencik, manager Don Wakamatsu and Ichiro met Thursday night and Friday morning to discuss the best course of action.

"He talked about how much he wanted to be with the team in Minnesota," Wakamatsu said of the eight-time All-Star. "It was a tough, tough decision, but we feel it's the best decision. We want to make sure he is healthy and will be with us all year. We're just glad we caught this when we did. The doctors did a good job."

A .331 career hitter with the Mariners, Ichiro has played in at least 157 games during each of his eight MLB seasons, including all 162 in 2005 and '08. Over that span, Ichiro has an MLB record-tying eight consecutive 200-hit seasons.

Prior to this season, Ichiro had played in 197 consecutive games (dating to Aug. 26, 2007), the fourth-longest active streak in the Majors. He has played in 807 of Mariners' 810 games over the past five seasons and, since coming to Seattle in '01, he has missed just 16 of the Mariners' 1,296 games.

And he didn't want the streak to end.

"He wanted to negotiate," Zduriencik said. "We said, 'Ichiro, we have to do what's right for you. We have to do what's right for the ballclub.' He's such a competitor. In sitting across from him and discussing this with him, it was so evident he did not want to do this. We talked yesterday at length, and this morning as well.

Ichiro, who helped Team Japan win the World Baseball Classic in March for the second time, joined the Mariners on March 26. He went 5-for-12 in five Cactus League games, and he began experiencing "light-headedness" prior to last Monday's game against the Brewers. He played three innings before leaving that game, and he missed the final three games in Arizona.

Wakamatsu said earlier in the week that he thought Ichiro had been worn out physically and mentally because of the three-week Classic. Ichiro didn't improve over a three-day period, so the organization decided to have him checked out by a doctor.

Team physician Mitch Storey traveled from Seattle to Peoria, Ariz., to examine Ichiro, who apparently began experiencing stomach discomfort prior to the World Baseball Classic.

He took medication, however, and made it through the Classic.

"Compared to three years ago, the expectation from the people of Japan was incomparable this time," Ichiro said. "To become champions in that situation was something that has a lot of meaning for me. What kind of emotion and expectation the Japanese players played upon was something that you can't imagine. That's how much was riding on this."

After diagnosing Ichiro with a bleeding ulcer, Storey said the stress the outfielder felt during the Classic most likely was related to the malady.

"In speaking to doctors, this was severe," Zduriencik said. "The biggest thing is, it has started to heal itself, and he's feeling good. But because he was fatigued, I think eliminating any kind of extra workload [is right]. This guy works as hard as anyone in the game. [It] was very hard to convince him this was the right thing to do.

"In his heart of hearts, he wanted to play. There was no question. Finally, we took it out of his hands and said, 'This is the best thing for you, and the best thing for the ballclub.'"

Club officials are still contemplating leaving him in Peoria for a few more days or having him return to Seattle to await the team's return from a seven-game road trip against the Twins and Athletics.

"This is a little unique," Zduriencik said. "It is what it is. What can you say? People go through different things. This is an issue. I'm happy we got it when we got it. I'm looking forward to him getting out here in a short period of time. That's where we stand."

Results from further tests are expected to be known Monday, according to Storey, who added that he's "confident" Ichiro will be ready to return to the Mariners' lineup for the second game of a three-game series against the Angels.

"I would anticipate he will be able to play," Storey said.

In the meantime, Ichiro will take medication and have limited activities.

"We're trying to get him rested up because he has been fatigued as well," Storey said. "We don't want to push him, so it will be a real graduated program. We're hoping that before he leaves Arizona, he'll play three or four innings to see how he feels.

"That will depend on how the next three or four days go."

Also Friday, the Mariners announced that Reggie Corona, a Rule 5 Draft choice from the Yankees, was returned for $25,000, which is half the claiming fee.

Corona batted .281 (16-for-57) during the spring, but he lost out to Ronny Cedeno for a spot on the 25-man roster as a backup infielder.