Seattle Mariners Manager Addresses Julio Rodriguez and His Lingering Injury
![Seattle Mariners center fielder Julio Rodriguez (44) hits a single during the third inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park on June 9. Seattle Mariners center fielder Julio Rodriguez (44) hits a single during the third inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park on June 9.](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_4666,h_2624,x_0,y_0/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/inside_the_mariners/01j5b085vndjwsjcet4y.jpg)
The Seattle Mariners suffered one of their worst losses of the season on Wednesday night, falling 3-2 to the Detroit Tigers in extra-innings. The M's held a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the eighth inning but then surrendered a two-run homer in the eighth before allowing a walk-off double in the 10th.
The Tigers, who are well under .500, are now 4-1 against the Mariners this year. This follows up the M's losing six of their last seven to the woeful Los Angeles Angels as well. As the M's fall to 2.5 games back in the American League West and 3.0 games back in the wild card, they can point directly to that 2-10 stretch as a key reason why.
In addition to the losses on the field, the worry is mounting once again for star Julio Rodriguez. Rodriguez, who was injured on July 21 with a high-ankle sprain, made a super-human comeback in time for "Sunday Night Baseball" this past weekend. However, he hasn't looked healthy, running gingerly in a double on Tuesday and then aggravating the ankle again on Wednesday. Though he got a hit in the at-bat in question, he left the game immediately for a pinch-runner.
After the loss on Wednesday, manager Scott Servais addressed where Rodriguez is at:
Servais: "Julio wants to play. He's not gonna hurt it any worse. That's what I've been told. So he's gonna have to grind through it."
Servais: "Julio wants to play. He's not gonna hurt it any worse. That's what I've been told. So he's gonna have to grind through it." https://t.co/2MtsEVAjI5
— Adam Jude (@A_Jude) August 15, 2024
It certainly looks like a grind for Rodriguez, who will likely need to take time to recover even into the offseason. The M's need his bat in the lineup, so they will probably continue to ride the wave, but thus far, it looks like an uncomfortable ride.
The Mariners will play the Tigers on Thursday morning at 10:10 a.m. PT.
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