The Mariners have reinstated outfielder Julio Rodriguez from the 10-day injured list. ESPN’s Buster Olney had reported earlier on Sunday that Seattle planned to activate Rodriguez in time for the game against the Mets. In a corresponding move, infielder Ryan Bliss was optioned to Triple-A.
Rodriguez sustained a right high ankle sprain on July 21 after colliding with the outfield wall and was placed on the IL shortly after. As recently as Saturday, reports suggested Rodriguez might not be ready to play on Sunday, but his improved ability to run had the Mariners listing him as day-to-day. The team is being cautious with Rodriguez’s health, but given their close race with the Astros for the AL West lead, both Rodriguez and the Mariners were eager for his return.
Rodriguez will be in the lineup as the designated hitter on Sunday, a role he may continue to fill until his ankle is fully recovered. This also allows Seattle to keep Victor Robles in center field, where he has surprisingly been one of the team’s better hitters since joining in early June.
Rodriguez’s injury came at a particularly unfortunate time, as he had just begun to break out of a season-long slump. Before landing on the IL, he had a .244/.294/.324 slash line with seven home runs in his first 364 plate appearances but had hit four homers and posted a 1.219 OPS in his last 49 plate appearances before the injury. This hot streak brought his season-long wRC+ back to a league-average 100. While Rodriguez has been a strong defensive presence in center field, Robles has also performed well in his absence.
