The Seattle Mariners got an injury scare with superstar center fielder Julio Rodriguez. For the series finale against the Baltimore Orioles, he remains out of the Mariners’ starting lineup.
Rodriguez left their 5-3 loss to the Orioles with an injury, which manager Dan Wilson revealed as hamstring cramps. The Seattle Times‘ Ryan Divish reported that the 25-year-old did agility drills and appeared to be moving well.
With it being a day game after a night game, it appears to be a case of precaution. Wilson told FOX 13 Seattle’s Curtis Crabtree that the day off is “to make sure we’re all set with his legs.” While Rodriguez is nursing a day-to-day injury, it’s unclear if he’ll be available to bat off the bench for this game.
Mariners Lineup Analysis
Even without Julio Rodriguez, Seattle got a huge boost to their lineup. First baseman Josh Naylor will start the series finale. That freed up utilityman Miles Mastrobuoni to start in left field.
However, Luke Raley remains out of the lineup. The Mariners’ right fielder developed a case of the flu, which complicates his return from a back issue. With him being out, Seattle is missing a big left-handed bat against Shane Baz.
Seattle has just two right-handed hitters in their starting lineup: backup catcher Mitch Garver and center fielder Victor Robles. Robles finished the previous game in center following Rodriguez’s exit in the seventh inning. Garver is behind the plate, with Cal Raleigh being the designated hitter.
The Orioles have two left-handed relievers who should be available for this game. Keegan Akin and Grant Wolfram threw 16 and 10 pitches respectively in the series opener. With a left-handed-heavy lineup, the Mariners can expect to see at least one, if not both, lefties.
That’s where Rodriguez could be available off the bench. DH is unlikely, with Raleigh being a switch-hitter, but he could hit for Mastrobuoni or Canzone in a big at-bat against either lefty.
What’s Next for Julio Rodriguez?
It seems likely that Julio Rodriguez will return to the starting lineup when the Mariners host the Boston Red Sox. The Red Sox will start left-hander Ranger Suarez for the series opener. Assuming everything goes well, Rodriguez should be in the lineup in either center field or as the designated hitter.
If Rodriguez is in the lineup at center field, that’s a good sign for his everyday availability. The decision to play him at DH would mean the club wants to give him a half-day off to further rest his legs.
The Mariners superstar outfielder is having his typical slow first half, slashing .249/.310/.429 with 13 home runs, nine steals, and a 110 wRC+. He holds a .738 OPS and 113 wRC+ for his career before the All-Star break.
The Mariners have struggled to separate in a tight American League West. They enter this game with a 38-37 record and a 1.5-game lead over the upstart Athletics. FanGraphs is still very bullish about their chances of making the postseason, with a 64.0% chance of winning the AL West.
For the Mariners to take back-to-back division titles, they’ll need Rodriguez to be healthy and continue his typical second-half tear.
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