It’s been a tough season for the Mariners with position player injuries, and things got worse on Thursday night against the Angels, with Julio Rodríguez departing the game in the third inning and Victor Robles in the fifth.
In the bottom of the first inning, Rodríguez reached on a walk from Angels starter Walbert Ureña. Dominic Canzone then grounded into what looked like it would be a routine 3-4-3 double play, but Angels first baseman Nolan Schanuel’s throw hit Julio in the back of the helmet instead. Rodríguez smartly kept running, sliding into third with a smile and celebration, but shortly after was seen doubled over in pain. He stayed in after a visit from the training staff, long enough for Ureña to hit Randy Arozarena with a pitch, but the inning ended shortly after when Josh Naylor grounded into an inning-ending double play on the second pitch of his at-bat.
Rodríguez played the defensive top half of the next inning but then disappeared from the dugout during the bottom of the second, and when the third inning rolled around Victor Robles came out in his place to play center field.
The team has yet to announce anything regarding Rodríguez’s status but it’s likely he wasn’t able to clear concussion protocol after being struck squarely by Schanuel’s throw. Luckily, Schanuel’s arm ranks in the 11th percentile for arm strength, so fingers crossed it looked – and sounded – worse than it was. This story will be updated as more is learned about the extent of Rodríguez’s injury.
Arozarena wasn’t the only Mariners player Angels starter Ureña hit with a pitch in his outing, this time doing more damage: he struck Victor Robles with a 98 mph sinker on the forearm, causing the outfielder to double over in obvious pain. Robles stayed in for the rest of the inning (which was only one out) and played the defensive half of the fourth inning, but was replaced in the batting order in the fifth inning by Weston Wilson, as Luke Raley moved into center field with Wilson – a utility player who has spent more time on the infield dirt – taking over in right. We will update this story as we learn more about Robles’s injury. Stay tuned to see if Buddy Kennedy gets to take some reps in center by the end of the night.
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