Mariners center fielder Julio Rodríguez leaves game versus Blue Jays with quad injury

SEATTLE (AP) — Seattle Mariners center fielder Julio Rodríguez was removed from Saturday’s game against the Toronto Blue Jays in the first inning due to discomfort in his right quadriceps.

Seattle manager Scott Servais said after a 5-4 loss to Toronto that Rodríguez felt discomfort in the quadriceps while going through his pregame warmup routine and decided to try and play through it. He appeared to be moving cautiously in center field during the top of the first inning, and Servais said it was obvious that a change needed to be made before the Mariners took the field for the second.

Servais said Rodríguez was expected to undergo an MRI.

“I’m hoping it’s nothing too serious. Day game tomorrow, would love to have him in there, but we’ll see. We have an off day after that,” Servais said.

It’s the latest little ailment for Seattle’s 23-year-old star. Rodríguez fouled a pitch off his left knee during Friday’s win over Toronto. Rodríguez also jammed his right thumb in Thursday’s win over Baltimore while bracing himself as he tumbled making a catch.

Servais said Rodríguez felt fine when he showed up at the ballpark on Saturday morning. He was replaced by Ty France in the batting order, but that also cost Seattle a possible bat that could have been used of the bench in the late innings as the Mariners tried to rally.

Seattle trailed 5-0 before scoring four times in the final two innings.

“You kind of have an idea going into a game how you’re going to use your bench and whatnot and when one of your main guys comes out like that you have to pivot quickly and we did. We certainly were covered,” Servais said.

Rodríguez has been in a slump at the plate and is hitting .247 with eight homers and 30 RBIs on the season.