The Seattle Mariners brought outfielder Julio Rodríguez off the 10-day injured list on Sunday. He had been out for three weeks because of a high-ankle sprain.
Rodríguez is back in the lineup for the game against the New York Mets and will join the team before a crucial nine-game road trip starting Tuesday, where the Mariners will face the Houston Astros, who are leading the AL West. He’ll also be playing with new teammates Randy Arozarena and Justin Turner for the first time.
“He’s one of the better hitters in the league and he was going so good before he got hurt,” said Mariners manager Scott Servais.
Rodríguez got hurt on July 21 when he crashed into the center field wall at T-Mobile Park while trying to catch a ball.
There was no set return date, but Rodríguez had been increasing his baseball activities recently. He took part in full pregame drills on Saturday, which included fielding, hitting, and running the bases.
For now, Rodríguez is expected to be the designated hitter. Victor Robles has been playing center field during Rodríguez’s absence.
Servais mentioned that everyone wants Rodríguez back in the outfield “as soon as possible, but there’s no timeline for that.”
Rodríguez is batting .263 with 11 home runs and 37 RBIs in 100 games this season. Before his injury, he was hitting .425 with a 1.289 OPS in the 13 games.
To make room for Rodríguez, infielder Ryan Bliss was sent down to Triple-A Tacoma.
