By Paul Taylor Posted on

Mariners to be without Julio Rodríguez for at least one full week

The Mariners lose Julio Rodriguez to concussion protocol, at a time when he was finally coming into form with his best play of the season.

There’s never a good time to lose one of your best players, but the Mariners will now be without Julio Rodriguez for at least one week at a time when he was rounding into form. As announced by Executive Vice President and General Manager of Baseball Operations Justin Hollander on Friday, the three-time All-Star has been placed on the seven-day Injured List, as per concussion protocol.

Rodriguez had to leave Thursday’s 1-0 win versus the Angels, due to a throw by Nolan Schanuel on an attempted double play that hit him in the back of the helmet while he was running to second base in the first inning. Initially, the two-time Silver Slugger seemed okay and continued to play, but finally he was replaced in the top of the third by Victor Robles.

When Rodriguez arrived at T-Mobile Park on Friday and said he was still feeling the effects of the hit to his helmet, the Mariners quickly made the decision to place him on the Injured List. This was of course the correct move, as you can never by too careful with head issues.

Dan Wilson discusses Julio Rodriguez’s situation

Mariners manager Dan Wilson spoke to the media about Rodriguez on Friday, ahead of the home series opener versus the Blue Jays. He said:

“As he kind of said last night when he got over there, I think when the adrenaline of the moment kind of ran out, he kind of felt lightheaded at the time and he just wasn’t feeling himself. He kind of came in today and didn’t feel himself again, so with head injuries you have to be so careful, so giving him the extra time and precautions is definitely the way to go.”

The earliest Rodriguez can return is next Friday for the beginning of the Mariners’ road series against the Rays. Given that this will be the final series before the All-Star break, you have to wonder if it might be best just to keep him out and give him extra time to recover before the action resumes following the festivities in Philadelphia.

Of course, this will be influenced by how the 25-year-old feels during this next week and how much baseball activity he takes part in. Wilson said:

“I believe he can probably do what he is feeling up to, and get to that point. I think it’s just a matter of what he’s going to be able to handle. Today is a day for him to kind of stay down and not do too much. And then I think that hopefully as he can handle things, we can start to ramp back up.”

The Mariners need a healthy Julio Rodriguez in the lineup

Rodriguez’s health is clearly the most important thing here, but as noted up top, his absence comes at a time when he was playing his best ball of the season. He entered the Angels series finale on a seven-game hitting streak, during which he produced a .414/.469/.414 slash line, .883 OPS and 166 wRC+.

For the season as a whole, the 2022 Rookie of the Year has a .259/.323/.424 slash line, .747 OPS and 115 wRC+. And while that might not sound too impressive for a five-tool talent, he has always produced a lot better during the second half of the season throughout his time in the majors.

Obviously the Mariners will hope this is again what happens when Rodriguez does return from the Injured List, because when he’s playing up to his potential it makes the whole team more dangerous for opponents. In the interim, all necessary precautions are being taken to make sure he comes back fully healthy.

Due to Rodriguez being placed on the seven-day Injured List, the Mariners selected utility player Miles Mastrobuoni from Triple-A Tacoma. This in turn saw reliever Cooper Criswell transferred to the 60-day Injured List with his right shoulder strain, to make room for Mastrobuoni on the 40-man roster.

Mastrobuoni will be hoping to use this opportunity to get going, after dealing with a right calf strain which he suffered during the World Baseball Classic and kept him out of action until late May. As for Criswell, his absence until at least mid-August only increases the need for the Mariners to find bullpen help in the trade market.

Photos court​‌esy of Tim Rogers Photography & Mariners media

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