Mariners’ Julio Rodríguez Returns From Wrist Injury
One of the brightest young stars in Major League Baseball has returned.
The Seattle Mariners activated outfielder Julio Rodríguez from the 10-day injured list on Thursday, clearing a path for his highly-anticipated return. Rodríguez hasn’t played since July 30 due to a right wrist contusion.
Additionally, the team activated catcher Curt Casali (right oblique strain) from the IL, optioning outfielder Jarred Kelenic to triple-A Tacoma and designating catcher Luis Torrens for assignment.
Rodríguez received the green light to return following a successful batting practice session at T-Mobile Park on Wednesday. Afterwards, manager Scott Servais revealed that his young centre fielder would likely be activated ahead of Friday’s series versus the Texas Rangers.
Seattle is hoping that the 6-foot-3 outfielder can finally put this nagging situation behind him after having it plague him for almost a month.
Multiple reports first suggested Rodríguez was experiencing some wrist discomfort dating back to July’s Home Run Derby, where he fell to Juan Soto in the final round. The 21-year-old missed time immediately after the event but returned to the lineup on Jul. 26.
Making an immediate impact, the right-hander went 2-for-9 with a pair of home runs through his first two games back, driving in four runs during that span. It seemed he was starting to turn the corner from his apparent wrist injury.
Unfortunately, that issue reared its ugly head again just a few days later as Rodríguez was hit by a 97-mph sinker on that same wrist in Houston against the Astros. While X-rays were negative, Seattle placed him on the IL the next day.
Now, after missing 10 games, the Mariners’ young phenom will attempt to pick up exactly where he left off prior to landing on the IL. Despite missing time, he remains the front-runner for this season’s AL Rookie of the Year Award.
Among all qualified major-league rookies, Rodríguez ranks first in home runs (18), offensive WAR (17.9), fWAR (3.1) and wRC+ (135), according to FanGraphs. He’s also tied for first in RBIs (57) and stolen bases (21), and carries the second-highest slugging percentage (.482).
The 2022 All-Star has also impressed with his defense, logging 829.2 innings in centre field during his rookie campaign. His +6 OAA ranks in the 94th percentile of the majors, according to Baseball Savant.
Assuming Rodríguez stays healthy moving forward, he’ll likely be crowned as the 2022 AL Rookie of the Year. If that proves true, the emerging superstar will be eligible to receive part of the $50 million pool split between the best pre-arbitration players in the majors, as per MLB’s new CBA.
Seattle is poised to benefit from this situation, as well. Since Rodríguez was a part of the club’s Opening Day roster, the Mariners will receive a compensatory draft pick if he finishes among the top three in Rookie of the Year voting.
At the moment, however, Rodríguez and his team have much larger aspirations as they currently possess the second wild-card seed in the AL. As of now, they’re positioned to make the playoffs for the first time since 2001, snapping a 20-season drought.
-Thomas Hall
Twitter: @ThomasHall85