The Seattle Mariners expected to have star center fielder Julio Rodriguez back in the lineup when they returned from the All-Star break on Friday.
That didn’t happen, but they hope he will be able to play Saturday when their three-game interleague series with the San Francisco Giants continues in Seattle.
Rodriguez has been on the seven-day concussion list since July 3. He suffered the injury when was hit in the back of the helmet by a thrown ball while beginning a slide into second base against the Los Angeles Angels the day before.
Rodriguez worked out with the Mariners on Friday and planned to take some swings in the batting cages.
“If that goes well, we’ll see where he’s at (Saturday) in terms of (if he’s) ready for activation or needs more time,” Mariners general manager Justin Hollander said. “There’s not been a setback or anything. We need to check every box before he gets out here and plays a major league game.
“Obviously you don’t want to mess around with head injuries, and they all sort of come in different forms and feel differently for different guys over a period of time.”
The Mariners, who have lost six of their past seven games to drop behind first-place Texas in the American League West race, certainly could use Rodriguez, who is batting .259 with 14 homers and 40 RBIs.
“I think it’s maybe less about what he does and how he kind of responds to it,” Mariners manager Dan Wilson said. “But getting a chance, I think, (Friday) to take some pitches off the (pitching machine) in there, a chance to see some more game-like reps or off the machine. That kind of thing. All of the reports have been good, and he seems ready for all of that. It’s a matter of getting those reps, being OK with it and then responding well and being ready to go.”
The Mariners continued to struggle on offense Friday as they lost 7-0 to San Francisco.
Landen Roupp allowed only two hits over seven innings for the Giants, who got a grand slam from Willy Adames and a two-run shot by Bryce Eldridge.
It was the third consecutive victory for the Giants, matching a season high.
“It’s nice to kind of see the fresh-start attitude and vibe that’s going around,” Giants manager Tony Vitello said. “One thing we’ve struggled with, I think, is that you’ve got great expectations going into the season, and the past can weigh on you a little bit. The future is not here yet, and the past is over and done with. The best thing we can do is focus on today. It’d be nice to build a little momentum.”
The Giants will look to continue to do that Saturday when they send All-Star Logan Webb (5-7, 3.86 ERA) to the mound against a fellow right-hander in the Mariners’ Bryan Woo (7-6, 4.23), who grew up in the Bay Area.
Webb has lost his past two starts, to Colorado and Toronto, giving up 12 runs on 16 hits over 10 innings. He’s 0-1 with a 5.29 ERA in three career starts against Seattle.
Woo got a no-decision his last time out July 7 at Miami, when he allowed four runs (three earned) over five innings in his team’s 6-5 loss in 10 innings. He’s 6-0 with a 2.10 ERA at home this season and 1-0 with a 3.32 ERA in three career starts against the Giants, his boyhood team.
–Field Level Media
