Mariners rookie Julio Rodríguez misses 3rd consecutive game with left wrist soreness

Following his stellar performance during the 2022 MLB All-Star Week, Mariners center fielder Julio Rodríguez remained out of the lineup Sunday afternoon at T-Mobile Park.

Forty minutes prior to the start of the Mariners three-game series against the Astros on Friday, the 21-year-old starter was scratched with left wrist soreness after an injury against the Rangers the Sunday prior to his appearance in the Home Run Derby.

According to Rodríguez, he suffered the injury sliding for second base and the injury got worse following All-Star week. However, the young Mariners rookie expressed that the wrist is getting better by the day.

“Whenever I slid into second, that’s when I first hit it but I feel like after the derby ... that’s when it started getting like maybe a little bit worse. But, like right now we’re day-by-day and it’s feeling better already,” Rodríguez said after Saturday night’s game against the Astros.

This is not Rodríguez’s first time with a wrist injury. He experienced a hairline fracture on his left wrist two years ago at a summer camp workout. The two injuries aren’t related, Rodríguez explained postgame on Saturday.

Rodríguez was ruled out for all three games of the Astros series as his injury has been day-to-day.

Rodríguez is not currently on the injured list.

“That’s a decision we’ll take a look at and monitor day-to-day,” Mariners manager Scott Servais said pregame Sunday.

According to Servais, Rodríguez got an MRI on Saturday that showed bruising on his left wrist.

Rodríguez is not expected to miss a long period of time with the injury, but Servais said they are cautious of the injury.

“There’s no question. You do want to be cautious with it,” Servais said. “And also, you have to listen to the player, trust the player. Even though (he is) young, nobody knows Julio’s body better than Julio.”

Rodríguez’s presence on the field is missed. Not only by fans and his team, but by Rodríguez himself.

For Rodríguez, sitting on the sidelines isn’t an easy task.

“I’m not used to it. I mean I love playing out there and just seeing all the fans that show up for those games, I really wanted to be out there for them,” Rodríguez said.

With a hunger to get out and play the game, Rodríguez is working to be back in the lineup and on the field.

“Just trying to get better as soon as I can, just trying to be out there on the field,” he said.