Julio Rodriguez ‘day to day’ with wrist soreness after late scratch from Mariners’ series-opening lineup

Mariners All-Star center fielder Julio Rodriguez was scratched from the lineup just minutes before Friday’s loss to Houston because of what the team said was left wrist soreness.

But manager Scott Servais indicated after the game that the injury is not overly serious, saying Rodriguez is “day to day” with the hope he may be able to play Saturday or Sunday.

Rodriguez was not in Saturday’s announced lineup, though.

Servais said Rodriguez jammed the wrist on a steal attempt in the first inning at Texas on Sunday and that he also “felt it after the (Home Run) Derby” at the All-Star Game.

Rodriguez felt soreness in the wrist again during batting practice, Servais said, but thought he could play through it. But when he again felt sore after another BP round in the cage around 6:30 p.m., the call was made to scratch him.

Servais said “any time you are a late scratch you’ve got some concerns” but made it sound as if the call to scratch Rodriguez was mostly precautionary.

“Got to do the right thing here,” Servais said. “Got a lot of big baseball games ahead. It just really wasn’t worth the risk running him out there tonight not being 100%.”

The move was announced just after Rodriguez had taken part in a brief ceremony on the field honoring his participation in Tuesday’s All-Star Game (Ty France was also honored), in uniform and seemingly fine. As part of that ceremony Rodriguez caught a first pitch from former Mariner Mike Cameron.

Servais was asked what he thought of Rodriguez’s performance in the derby when he spoke to the media before the game and didn’t mention any issue with Rodriguez’s wrist.

Servais said he wasn’t surprised by the home run barrage of the Mariners’ 21-year-old budding phenom.

“I throw BP to this guy every day. He never tries to hit home runs in batting practice,” Servais said. “Never. Never. He may hit two or three around. But you know he can. I thought his BP pitcher (Franmy Pena) did an unbelievable job. He threw every pitch right where it needed to be thrown. He was quick. It was amazing what he was doing. I told Julio I said he really made you look good. Julio had a little bit something to do with it. It was fun to watch.”

Rodriguez, hitting .275 with 16 home runs and 52 runs batted in, had missed only three games before Friday, starting 90 games in center field.

Dylan Moore replaced Rodriguez in center field and shortstop J.P. Crawford, who had been sixth in the original order, was moved to the leadoff spot.