"Concerning" Issue For Mariners As Julio Rodriguez Injured

Terrible timing for the Seattle Mariners, as they jockey for position in the Wild Card chase. It appears that rookie sensation Julio Rodriguez is headed to the injured list for a lower back issue.

Julio Rodríguez will undergo an MRI tomorrow in Kansas City, per Scott Servais, who called the issue "concerning."

Rodríguez didn't receive imaging when first experiencing lower back tightness over the weekend in Anaheim.

— Daniel Kramer (@DKramer_) September 22, 2022

J-Rod was pulled from Thursday night's game with lower back tightness. Manager Scott Servais called the back issue "concerning." It's something that's been bothering him for the better part of a week. 

Greg Bishop reports in Sports Illustrated that "multiple Mariners officials told Sports Illustrated that the team likely will place Julio on the 10-day injured list to rest but they expect him to return before the end of the season." There are just 12 days left in the regular season.

The 21-year-old is having one of the greatest rookie seasons of all-time, becoming only the 3rd ever to reach the 25 HR/25 SB club. He's batting .280 with an .844 OPS, 27 HRs, 73 RBIs and 25 SBs.

The Mariners would have a tough time keeping pace with the Toronto Blue Jays and the Tampa Bay Rays in the Wild Card fight if they're forced to play the next 10 days without the rookie superstar. 

They're currently 0.5 back of Tampa (tied in the loss column) and 1.5 behind the Jays (1 in the loss column).

Photos: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports