The Seattle Mariners just keep catching bad breaks. Thursday night against the Angels, Julio Rodriguez took a throw to the back of the head while sprinting to second base. The ball never meant to hit him. Angels first baseman Nolan Schanuel just tried to gun him out at second. Instead, the 25-year-old star got drilled flush on the helmet.
Rodriguez still made it to third safely. That part worked. But he clearly got rattled. Trainer Kyle Torgerson checked on him, and Rodriguez initially stayed in the game. That didn’t last long. He got pulled shortly after, with Victor Robles taking over in center field.
The team officially placed Rodriguez in concussion protocol, per MLB.com’s Daniel Kramer. The Mariners will figure out over the next day or two whether he misses any time.
And then things got worse.
Robles, the backup center fielder, left the game too after taking a pitch to the body. He exited in the fifth inning. Wester Wilson replaced him, sliding to right field while Luke Raley shifted over to center. X-rays on Robles came back negative, which is the one bit of good news here. But Kramer says Robles is still in quite a bit of pain.
Another year, another obstacle for Seattle
The Mariners are tied with the Texas Rangers atop the AL West at 45-43. That record looks thin when you start losing everyday players to fluke injuries. Rodriguez has been solid if not spectacular this year: 14 homers, 40 RBIs, a .747 OPS. But losing him for any stretch would hurt. And the depth behind him keeps taking hits too.
Seattle’s season has felt like one thing after another. They’ve struggled to score consistently. Their pitching has kept them afloat. But when a ball to the head sidelines your best hitter, and his replacement gets knocked out by a pitch hours later, it’s hard not to wonder how much more this lineup can take.
The team hasn’t said whether Rodriguez will travel with them for their next series or stay back for testing. That decision will come soon. For now, the Mariners wait, and the fans hold their breath.
Leave a Comment