The Mariners made it official: Julio Rodriguez is off the injured list, and Miles Mastrobuoni got designated for assignment to clear the roster spot. It's the kind of corresponding move that barely registers on a transaction wire, but for a Seattle team clawing through the middle of a playoff race, getting your best player back in center field is a much bigger deal than the paperwork suggests.
Mariners Activate Julio Rodriguez, Designate Miles Mastrobuoni t.co/s1QTFH4ttm
Rodriguez had been sidelined since July 2 with a concussion after getting struck in the back of the helmet by a throw while running the bases, landing him on the 7-day concussion IL. That's a scary injury for any player, let alone a 25-year-old who's supposed to be the face of the franchise for the next decade. Getting cleared and activated is as much a relief as it is a roster boost.
He slotted right back into the middle of the lineup, batting second as the designated hitter in his return against the Giants at T-Mobile Park. He went 0-for-4 on the day, but it wasn't a nothing performance — Rodriguez delivered a sacrifice fly in extra innings that plated the winning run, with Victor Robles racing home to seal it. Not exactly the highlight-reel return fans wanted, but a winning one, and sometimes that's all that matters this deep into the season.
Mastrobuoni's DFA is the less glamorous side of the move, but it tells its own story. He'd only been up from Triple-A Tacoma to cover the hole Rodriguez left, hit 0-for-3 in limited action, and now gets bumped for the second time this season. That's the churn that happens on the fringe of a roster whenever a star comes back — somebody with a real name gets activated, and somebody replaceable heads back out.
For a Mariners team fighting for playoff positioning, this is about as clean a swap as it gets: subtract a utility infielder hitting nothing, add back a former All-Star center fielder who's a legitimate middle-of-the-order threat when healthy. Seattle's lineup instantly looks more dangerous, and with Rodriguez's bat and glove back in the fold, the club has one fewer excuse if things go sideways down the stretch.