TODAY: X-rays have been destructive on Rodriguez’s ankle, and he advised Daniel Kramer and different reporters that he was already feeling ok that there “a excessive likelihood that I ought to be within the lineup” as early as right now. It looks as if the Mariners will nonetheless maintain Rodriguez out for precautionary causes a minimum of, but it seems as if the outfielder has dodged a serious harm bullet.
“To start with, it was very painful, and I couldn’t actually really feel my foot a complete lot or transfer it a complete lot — and never even like stroll correctly,” Rodriguez stated. “However after we form of began treating it, every little thing began reacting higher straight away.”
JUNE 7: The Mariners suffered a probably devastating blow this night when heart fielder Julio Rodriguez was helped off the sector by members of the crew’s athletic workers on account of an obvious harm. The harm occurred (as relayed by Daniel Kramer of MLB.com) when a hard-hit line drive off the bat of Randy Arozarena collided with Rodriguez’s leg whereas he was trying to steal third base. Rodriguez was changed in heart discipline by Leody Taveras.
It’s not but clear how extreme Rodriguez’s harm is, however even a quick absence could be a troublesome break for a Mariners membership that has already misplaced ten of their final 14 video games, together with an lively four-game shedding streak. That slide has seen Seattle drop from within the driver’s seat within the AL West to a few video games again of the Astros and one sport out of an AL Wild Card spot. That slide can’t be attributed to Rodriguez, who has began to shed his popularity as a gradual starter this season by slashing a good .248/.316/.416 (114 wRC+) with even stronger peripheral numbers throughout his first 61 video games this season. Rodriguez has ten steals, ten homers, and is placing out at a career-low 19.6% clip so far within the season all whereas taking part in his typical glorious protection in heart discipline.
For now, there’s little for Mariners followers to do apart from look ahead to updates from membership brass. Rodriguez seems more likely to bear testing earlier than a timetable for his return will turn out to be accessible. Maybe he’s suffered solely a contusion and might be day-to-day or require solely a brief stint on the IL. Then again, a bone bruise on Rodriguez’s leg would probably require a minimum of a month, because it has for fellow outfielders like Mike Trout and Cody Bellinger lately, though it’s a minimum of attainable it might take considerably longer as has been the case for gamers like Kyle Tucker and Anthony Rendon.
That dynamic of a expertise could be tough to lose for any membership, however that’s very true of the Mariners given their present state of affairs within the outfield. With Victor Robles and Luke Raley each already on the injured record, infielders from the membership’s bench combine like Miles Mastrobuoni and Dylan Moore have been tasked with serving to out on the grass alongside the membership’s common trio of Rodriguez, Arozarena, and Taveras. If Rodriguez have been to require a stint on the injured record, Taveras would probably slide over from proper discipline to heart whereas depth possibility presently at Triple-A like Dominic Canzone or Rhylan Thomas took over in proper discipline.
Canzone is a profession .206/.263/.387 hitter within the majors and Thomas has simply three video games within the majors beneath his belt, so it goes with out saying that both could be a subpar substitute for the Mariners’ star hitter. The excellent news is that additional assist could also be on the best way quickly: MLB.com means that Raley might start a rehab task as quickly as subsequent week. A .242/.328/.463 (127 wRC+) hitter because the begin of the 2023 marketing campaign, Raley’s return might assist to make up for any time Rodriguez misses, a minimum of towards right-handed pitching.
