The Seattle Mariners didn’t waste any time making it official. Star outfielder Julio Rodriguez is headed to the 7-day injured list with a concussion after a scary moment Thursday night against the Angels.
It happened while Rodriguez was rounding the bases. An errant throw caught him in the back of the head, and he went down immediately. The team managed to lock down a 1-0 win, but the bigger concern was their franchise player’s health. He didn’t return to the game, and now we know why.
The Mariners announced the move Friday before their series opener against the Toronto Blue Jays. Along with Rodriguez landing on the IL, the club recalled infielder/outfielder Miles Mastrobuoni from Triple-A Tacoma. To clear a spot on the 40-man roster for Mastrobuoni, the team also transferred right-handed pitcher Cooper Criswell to the 60-day IL with a right shoulder strain.
That Criswell move is a procedural one, according to MLB.com’s Daniel Kramer. He’s been out with the shoulder issue anyway, so bumping him to the 60-day opens up a roster spot without costing anyone anything. Pretty standard roster gymnastics.
What This Means for Seattle
Losing Rodriguez for at least a week hurts. The 25-year-old is the heart of that lineup, both at the plate and in center field. The Mariners have been fighting to stay in the AL West race, and every game matters. But concussions are tricky. The team isn’t going to rush him back.
Mastrobuoni could make his Mariners debut as soon as Friday night against Toronto. He’s not going to replace Rodriguez’s production, but he can play multiple positions and give the team some flexibility off the bench.
The Mariners haven’t said much else about Rodriguez’s condition beyond the concussion diagnosis. No timeline on when he might resume baseball activities. That’s usually how these things go. The team will monitor him day-to-day and see how he responds.
This story is still developing. Seattle’s medical staff will keep evaluating Rodriguez, and we’ll update you as soon as we hear more.
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