Mariners activate OF Julio Rodríguez for series finale against Mets

SEATTLE (AP) — The Seattle Mariners activated outfielder Julio Rodríguez from the 10-day injured list on Sunday after he missed three weeks due to a high-ankle sprain.

Rodríguez returned to the Mariners’ lineup ahead of Sunday night’s game against the New York Mets and before an important nine-game road trip beginning on Tuesday with Seattle facing off against Houston atop the AL West. He’ll be playing with new teammates Randy Arozarena and Justin Turner for the first time.

“He’s one of the better hitters in the league and he was going so good before he got hurt,” Mariners manager Scott Servais said.

Rodríguez was injured on July 21 when he crashed into the wall in center field at T-Mobile Park attempting to make a catch. There was no timeline on when he’d return but Rodríguez had ramped up his baseball activity extensively in recent days. Rodríguez went through full pregame drills on Saturday that included fielding, hitting and running the bases.

It’s likely that Rodríguez will be the designated hitter for the Mariners in the immediate future. Victor Robles has received the majority of the playing time in center field with Rodríguez sidelined. Servais said everyone wants Rodríguez back in the outfield “as soon as possible, but there’s no timeline for that.”

Rodríguez is hitting .263 with 11 homers and 37 RBIs in 100 games this season. He was hitting .425 with a 1.289 OPS in the 13 games prior to his injury.

Infielder Ryan Bliss was optioned to Triple-A Tacoma to clear the roster spot for Rodriguez.