Seattle Mariners outfielder Julio Rodriguez (illness) is starting in center field and batting second in Friday's split-squad Cactus League game against the Cincinnati Reds. Rodriguez is back in spring training action after taking a couple days off this week due to an illness. After a down year by his standards in 2024, the 24-year-old outfielder is currently hitting just .229 with three home runs in 13 Cactus League games in Arizona. The two-time All-Star, former American League Rookie of the Year and two-time Silver Slugger winner had a career-low .734 OPS in 2024 but still managed 20 home runs and 24 stolen bases in 143 games played in his third year in the league. However, he posted only 68 RBI after driving in over 100 runs in 2023. A bounce-back year in 2025 is entirely possible for J-Rod, who is still a top-10 fantasy outfielder.
Seattle Mariners outfielder Julio Rodriguez (illness) was scratched from Monday's Cactus League lineup against the division-rival Athletics due to an illness. Luke Raley is taking over in center field for the M's and will bat fifth in the lineup. Rodriguez should be considered day-to-day for now, but he shouldn't have any issues recovering in time for Opening Day next Thursday. The 24-year-old All-Star outfielder has gone 8-for-35 (.229) with three home runs, three doubles, 11 RBI, one steal and five runs scored in 13 spring training games to this point. J-Rod, who was an All-Star in both of his first two seasons in the big leagues, was a disappointment to fantasy managers in his third year in 2024, although he still finished with 20 home runs and 24 stolen bases in 143 games. He could easily bounce back in 2025 and is a surefire top-10 fantasy outfielder.
Julio Rodriguez Reaches 20/20 Plateau With Home Run
Seattle Mariners outfielder Julio Rodriguez went 1-for-5 with a two-run home run in Wednesday's 8-1 win over the Astros, keeping the team's playoff hopes alive. The home run was Rodriguez's 20th of the season, earning him his third consecutive 20/20 season to start his career. Despite a slow start to the season, the 23-year-old has rewarded managers who persevered and made the fantasy playoffs with him, collecting a hit now in seven straight games while hitting .336 with seven home runs in September (23 games). Rodriguez and the Mariners will face a familiar opponent this weekend in the A's but will face lefty JP Sears specifically on Friday who the 2x All-Star is just 3-for-19 off of lifetime, including five strikeouts and no extra-base hits.
Seattle Mariners outfielder Julio Rodriguez continued to hit the ball well on Saturday, going 4-for-6 with a home run, four RBI, two runs scored, and a stolen base in an 8-4 win over the Rangers. It was the second consecutive game with a home run after a two-homer game on Friday, giving him 19 on the season. Over the last eight games, the 23-year-old has gone 18-for-38 (.474) with two doubles, five home runs, 14 RBI, eight runs scored, and a stolen base. It seems he's making up for the power drought he exhibited for much of the season and the former A.L. Rookie of the Year is now just one home run away from a 20/20 season. The 2x All-Star also has his slashline up to a respectable .273/.327/.409 and his newfound production is coming at the most critical time of the fantasy season.
Julio Rodriguez Blasts Two Homers, Collects Five RBI
Seattle Mariners outfielder Julio Rodriguez stayed hot in Friday's 8-2 win over the Rangers, belting a pair of home runs in a 3-for-5 day at the plate while collecting five RBI and scoring twice. Both home runs came off of Rangers reliever Jack Leiter and it was the 23-year-old's fourth multi-hit effort in his last seven games. The glaring part of Rodriguez's game that's been missing this season has been his power, but he's knocked five home runs so far this month, the most in any single month this season. The former A.L. Rookie of the Year should still hit the 20-homer plateau before the season is out despite the slow start, putting him on track for a 20/20 campaign, now authoring a .268-18-59-68-22 line with a .317 wOBA and 113 wRC+.
Seattle Mariners outfielder Julio Rodriguez went 4-for-5 at the plate in Friday's 5-4 win over the Rangers, collecting a pair of singles, a double, and a go-ahead home run in the contest. The 23-year-old's home run was a three-run blast in the bottom of the eighth that would prove to be the eventual game-winner. It has been a disappointing season by Rodriguez's standards and for fantasy managers who drafted him where they did, but his BA (.263) and OBP (.319) are nearing career averages while there hasn't been a significant drop in contact rate or increase in strikeout rate, plus the barrel rate is still 9.6%. So, there's a chance for a strong finish and reason for optimism heading into 2025.
Seattle Mariners outfielder Julio Rodriguez was able to do some damage at the plate during Thursday's game against the Oakland Athletics. It has been a frustrating year for Rodriguez, but he appears to be turning a corner at the plate. On Thursday, Rodriguez went 1-for-4 with a solo home run and scored twice in win over the A's. Rodriguez now has eight hits and five RBI over his last six games. It's still a disappointing season for the superstar outfielder, but at least Rodriguez can finish it on a strong note.
Seattle Mariners outfielder Julio Rodriguez ended a longstanding power outage in Wednesday's win over the visiting Tampa Bay Rays at T-Mobile Park, going deep for the first time since July 20 in the victory. Rodriguez took Rays left-hander Tyler Alexander deep for a two-run home run to put the Mariners up 5-1 in the fifth inning on Wednesday against Tampa Bay. The 23-year-old superstar center fielder has cooled off dramatically after a red-hot July, going 11-for-58 (.190) with five RBI, four runs scored, and zero stolen bases in the month of August. Fantasy managers are hoping he gets further removed from his ankle woes as we enter the stretch run in September.
Seattle Mariners outfielder Julio Rodriguez (ankle) is back in center field and is hitting second for the Mariners on Friday against the San Francisco Giants and rookie right-hander Hayden Birdsong in the series opener at T-Mobile Park. Rodriguez had been serving exclusively as the designated hitter since returning from a sprained ankle, and this will be his first start in center field since July 21 due to a high-ankle sprain. Victor Robles is dealing with a hip injury and is out, but he is likely to see less playing time now that J-Rod is healthy enough to play defense. Fantasy managers can only hope that the 23-year-old Rodriguez can get going to close out the year after a down year offensively. Since his return from the injured list on Aug. 11, he's gone 8-for-36 (.222) with two doubles, an RBI and 10 strikeouts in nine games played. J-Rod hasn't faced Birdsong in his career.
Seattle Mariners manager Scott Servais said that outfielder Julio Rodriguez (ankle) is back up to top running speed and has a chance to return to center field during the team's next homestand from Aug. 23-28. Rodriguez, who missed almost three weeks with a right-ankle sprain, has been working exclusively as the designated hitter since coming off the injured list on Aug. 11. Servais said the M's considered playing Rodriguez in center field this week against the Los Angeles Dodgers, but they decided against it in part due to how fast the Dodger Stadium outfield grass plays. It's been a disappointing season overall for the Dominican star outfielder, and he's hit .258 (8-for-31) with no home runs, two doubles, an RBI and eight strikeouts in eight games since returning from his ankle sprain. J-Rod has only 11 homers, 38 RBI and 18 steals in 108 games after posting a 30/30 campaign in 2023 with 103 RBI.
Julio Rodríguez
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Mariners
