The Seattle Mariners are holding out hope that Julio Rodriguez will be back in the lineup Saturday night against the San Francisco Giants. The three-time All-Star center fielder has been out since July 2 with a concussion, but he went through a full pregame workout Friday that had everyone feeling pretty good about his progress.
That workout included agility drills with the training staff, throwing, base running and live swings off a pitching machine. General manager Justin Hollander said the team wanted Rodriguez to clear every single step before they activate him. And he did.
The hit that kept him out
Rodriguez got drilled in the back of the helmet by a throw from Angels first baseman Nolan Schanuel as he tried to take second base during a double play. The Mariners put him on the seven-day concussion injured list the next day and basically gave him the All-Star break off to make sure he was fully recovered.
Hollander said Rodriguez turned a corner around Monday or Tuesday of this week. The GM described himself as “super encouraged” by the progress. Manager Dan Wilson had mentioned on the previous road trip that Rodriguez was ramping up baseball activities but still dealing with some lingering symptoms. That seems to be behind him now.
What the lineup looks like without him
Victor Robles started in center field and hit eighth in Friday’s series opener. Before the concussion, Rodriguez had played 87 games this season and hit .259 with a .747 OPS, 15 doubles, 14 homers and 40 RBIs. He also stole 12 bases. May was his best month — 10 home runs and an .899 OPS — but June cooled off significantly, with just four extra-base hits and a .248 average.
The Mariners entered the weekend at 48-49 after losing five of their last six before the break. That puts them 1.5 games behind the Texas Rangers in the AL West, so getting their best player back matters.
Other injury updates around the roster
Brendan Donovan started a rehab assignment with Triple-A Tacoma on Friday. He’d already played in the Arizona Complex League, going 0-for-3 with three strikeouts and a walk. Donovan has been limited to 25 games this season by a left groin strain. He’s expected to spend at least 10 days on rehab and will rotate through DH, outfield corners, second base and third base.
Rob Refsnyder gets his rehab assignment started Saturday with Tacoma. On the pitching side, Matt Brash has started throwing and is targeting a return in mid-to-late August. Cooper Criswell trails Brash by about a week in his recovery. Carlos Vargas could throw a bullpen session Tuesday before getting cleared for a rehab assignment.
Leave a Comment