Julio Rodríguez sits after hamstring issue, but Mariners are optimistic about quick return

As Dan Wilson talked about Julio Rodríguez's absence from the starting lineup Thursday, the Mariners' center fielder was in the outfield running at varying speeds and doing some agility movements under the watchful eyes of head athletic trainer Kyle Torgerson and head strength and conditioning coach Matt Rutledge.

Rodríguez was lifted after the sixth inning of Wednesday night's game due to a left hamstring spasm. The Mariners don't believe the situation is serious. But with a day game after the night game, they felt it was best to rest Rodríguez, even though they are dealing with a myriad of nagging injuries on the roster.

Julio just getting a chance to get a day (off) today to make sure we're all set with his legs," Wilson said. "I think that's a smart thing to do."

Rodríguez is considered "day to day."

"Hopefully tomorrow he's in a different spot," Wilson said. "It's always tricky with the quick turnaround. We'll give him a chance today to kind of sit back and give that a little bit of rest, and hopefully he'll be back tomorrow."

Luke Raley was out of the lineup for the third straight game, but it wasn't due to the back tightness that kept him out of the first two games. No, his back was better. But the rest of his body wasn't feel great thanks to a nasty flu bug.

"It kind of knocked him out a little bit," Wilson said. "It's been a tough couple of days for him. But I expect him to be back tomorrow."

In search of positive injury news, Josh Naylor (right wrist soreness) was back in the lineup for the Mariners after missing the previous two games. He had a single in his first plate appearance.

Randy Arozarena, who was placed on the injured list Tuesday retroactive to June 13 due to a hamstring strain, did some early outfield work and also some running drills before the game.

"It looks like he's on track," Wilson said. "The word we're getting from the training room is that he's meeting all the standards that they were hoping for. We're continuing to hope that it's a minimum stay, and it's starting to look that way.

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This story was originally published June 18, 2026 at 5:01 PM.