Julio Rodriguez Injury Update: Mariners star likely to shake off inflammation issues for Cactus League debut

Since breaking into MLB in 2021, Julio Rodriguez has served as the offensive center piece of the Mariners' offensive lineup. With the 23-year old expected to play as big a role as ever for his team this season, his welfare is one of the club's top priorities.

After noticing that Rodriguez was absent for the first three games of the Mariners' pre-season, fans began to ask questions. Soon, Mariners writer Daniel Kramer claimed that hand inflammation has kept Rodriguez off of the field. According to Kramer, the injury was sustained earlier in the spring training period.

"Julio Rodríguez is dealing with some minor inflammation in his left hand, a byproduct of some of the volume at the start of camp and which is why he hasn’t played in a Cactus League game yet, Scott Servais said. The Mariners think it’s minor and that he should debut soon" - Daniel Kramer

Though Kramer revealed that Seattle Mariners manager Scott Servais has confirmed the existence of an injury in Julio Rodriguez' hand, the team does not consider the ailment to be serious. Since breaking into MLB at the beginning of the 2022 season, Rodriguez has been able to stay healthy throughout.

The 2022 season saw Rodriguez hit .284/.345/.509 with 28 home runs and 75 RBIs, winning a Silver Slugger as well as the AL Rookie of the Year Award. In 2023, he followed up that success, hitting .275 with 32 home runs and 103 RBIs. Last September, Rodriguez also became the first player in MLB history to record 25 homers and 25 stolen bases in his first two seasons.

"I wish we were watching the Mariners in the playoffs, but we also can watch every Julio Rodriguez home run from 2023 to buy time" - Seattle Mariners ON Tap

Of the 210 home runs hit by the Mariners last season, Rodriguez was responsible for over 15%. With big bats like Teoscar Hernandez choosing to sign with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Julio's impact will be even more palpable this season, as the Mariners look to stake their claim to the AL West.

Mariners' chances are closely tied to Julio Rodriguez' health

Although Rodriguez has remained healthy for the past two seasons, the Mariners must be ever-vigilant to ensure that the 6-foot-3 star is in his peak state. Having already nailed him down to a 14-year deal worth $400 million, any issues for Rodriguez could soon turn into a wider set of challenges for the Mariners in 2024.

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