The Mariners plan to activate Julio Rodriguez in time for Monday’s game against the Detroit Tigers, Seattle manager Scott Servais said.
Rodriguez went on the 10-day injured list back on Sept. 23 with a lower back strain, and will get “a ton of swings” on Sunday against the Mariners’ pitching simulator machine.
“The thought is to get him in the game (Monday),” Servais said. “But we’ll see how he feels getting done with a bunch of swings today and see where that is at. Hopeful we can get him back in there.”
Rodriguez first hurt his lower back during the Mariners’ mid-September road series against the Angels. He played in the first game of the series on Sept. 16, but sat out each of the next three games with what the team called “lower-back discomfort.”
Rodriguez returned to the lineup on Sept. 20 against Oakland and started each of the next three games before leaving midgame on Sept. 22 with more back problems. Since then, Rodriguez has had to watch from the bench as the Mariners clinched their first playoff berth since 2001.
With the postseason starting Friday, Servais wants to get Rodriguez back in the lineup as soon as possible to get his timing back at the plate. As evidenced by the performance of third baseman Eugenio Suarez since his return from the IL, timing is everything.
“He wants to be in there, but things happen,” Servais said. “Putting him on the IL was definitely the right thing to do to let that situation calm down. The thing you always worry about when you are out 10 days is timing. What’s the timing going to be like at the plate? Certainly we saw (Suarez) struggle the first day back, and after that, Geno has been Geno. He has been locked in. That’s why I want to get Julio in there as soon as we can, to see how his body reacts and also get him as many at-bats as we can, and feel good about where he is at heading into the playoffs.”
If he does return to the lineup on Monday, Rodriguez will have missed nine games with his most recent injury.
Cal Raleigh sits again to rest thumb
Cal Raleigh was out of the lineup Sunday for the third straight game as the team tries to let his bothersome left thumb heal in time for the playoffs. Raleigh was removed from last Sunday’s game against the Royals after re-aggravating the injury.
Raleigh has started just one game since then against the Rangers on Sept. 29, though he was used as a pinch-hitter in Friday’s game against the A’s, where he hit a walk-off homer to clinch the Mariners’ spot in this year’s playoffs.
The Mariners considered penciling in Raleigh into Sunday’s lineup, but ultimately decided to give him another day of rest. Raleigh will be available as a pinch-hitter against the A’s, and Servais plans to put Raleigh back into the lineup on Monday against Detroit right-handed pitcher Bryan Garcia.
Servais juggles pitchers for doubleheader
The Mariners will get one extra pitcher to help out in Tuesday’s doubleheader against Detroit. Servais said that he isn’t sure who it will be, but is certain that he will take advantage of the extra arm as he tries to get his starting rotation and bullpen lined up for the postseason.
“That guy will pitch,” Servais said. “I will guarantee you that.”
Relief pitcher Chris Flexen will start the second game of the doubleheader, so he will be unavailable to pitch on Sunday or Monday.
“Hopefully we can get 50 or 60 pitches out of (Flexen),” Servais said. “It’s not like he can go out there and throw 100 pitches. He hasn’t done it in a couple of months. So we have to be smart there as well.”
The Mariners currently have Wednesday’s starting pitcher marked as TBA although it is Logan Gilbert’s scheduled day to pitch.
Servais reiterated that the Mariners plan to do everything they can to pass Toronto for the first AL Wild Card spot in order to host the Wild Card Series. If it all came down to Wednesday’s game, Gilbert would be the one to get the ball.
“He would pitch on that day, if it was a chance to get in,” Servais said. “I think it’s a huge advantage to play these games at home. Anybody who says it’s not, they’re crazy. If you were here the other night, you see what kind of advantage that could be in this ballpark for us. But again, the schedule, how the Blue Jays are doing and how we are doing will dictate that.”