ANAHEIM, Calif. — In a tough game for the Seattle Mariners, star player Julio Rodríguez had a challenging moment during Saturday night’s 8-6 defeat to the Los Angeles Angels. The incident occurred in the third inning when Rodríguez, in an attempt to swipe third base, was hit on the top of his right ankle by a sharply hit 98-mph ground ball from Randy Arozarena. This injury forced him out of the game prematurely.
Despite the scare, the Mariners received hopeful news later that evening as X-rays showed no fractures. Rodríguez was diagnosed with a contusion and labeled as day-to-day. Mariners manager Dan Wilson commented on the situation, stating, “It’s kind of a day-to-day thing, we’ll see how it goes. But it could have been a lot worse.” This was Seattle’s fifth defeat in a row, adding to their woes.
Prior to his exit, Rodríguez, who is hitting .254 with 10 home runs and 32 RBIs across 61 games this season, was already making an impact. He led off the game with a single and came around to score on Cal Raleigh’s three-run homer in the first. In the third inning, Rodríguez reached base with another single and proceeded to steal second, showcasing his speed.
As Rodríguez sprinted for third upon Arozarena’s turn at the plate, the unfortunate grounder struck him right as he was attempting to find the ball with his eyes. Consequently, Arozarena was given credit for a single while Rodríguez was ruled out and assisted off the field after a brief pause due to the injury.
After receiving treatment, Rodríguez shared, “At first, it was very painful — like I couldn’t really feel my foot a whole lot or move it a whole lot. But after they started treating it, the swelling went down, and everything started reacting better right away. So that made me feel really good. … There’s a high chance that I should be in the lineup (Sunday).”
Rodríguez’s early departure strongly impacted the team. Leody Taveras took over center field duties but faced challenges, misjudging a Zach Neto flare as his first test, allowing it to turn into a single and an error. This error set up the Angels to capitalize, tying the game at 4 after a couple of more misplays from the Mariners defense.
The Angels further capitalized with a second home run from center fielder Jo Adell in the fourth inning and added runs in the subsequent innings to secure their lead. Wilson noted the unfortunate timing for Taveras, acknowledging, “That’s a tough situation (for Taveras) coming off the bench there, and the ball finds him right away. He’s been so good for us, and he’s run a lot of balls down out there, so just a tougher night for him.”