The Seattle Mariners activated outfielder Victor Robles from the injured list and started him in right field for Saturday’s 2-1 defeat (in 10 innings) to the Athletics. He batted seventh against left-hander Jeffrey Springs and hit 1-for-4 in his return to the lineup.
Robles was issued a 10-game suspension earlier in the week by Major League Baseball for throwing his bat at pitcher Joey Estes during a minor-league rehab assignment. But he officially appealed the penalty and is allowed to play during that process.
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The seventh inning is where Robles shined. In the top of the frame, he displayed the defense that makes him particularly valuable. With two outs, Nick Kurtz hit a line drive to the right-center gap for what looked like a sure extra-base hit. But Robles ran over to make a diving catch and end the inning.
Taking a physical risk to make a catch showed that Robles isn’t any less willing to throw himself around the field after missing nearly five months with a fractured shoulder. He suffered the injury on April 7, making a leaping catch and colliding with the netting in right-field foul territory at San Francisco’s Oracle Park, and he had to be carted off the field.
Robles told the Seattle Times’ Ryan Divish before Saturday’s game that he intended to still play with a “fearless mentality” on defense, willing to dive and slide to make plays.
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In the bottom half of the seventh, Robles hit a single off reliever Michael Kelly. With two outs in the inning, he pulled a sweeper thrown in the low middle of the strike zone and the line drive deflected off shortstop Jacob Wilson’s glove. Robles followed up by stealing second base.
However, Robles figured into the Mariners’ loss in a negative fashion. In the 10th inning, with runners on first and second, he popped up a bunt attempt on a high fastball. The pop-up was caught in foul territory by catcher Shea Langeliers. After Robles was unable to move the runners, Josh Naylor couldn’t try to score the tying run from third on a grounder from J.P. Crawford.
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“That’s the play right there in that situation,” Mariners manager Dan Wilson said, via MLB.com. “And we just weren’t able to execute it.”
With the loss and the Houston Astros’ 9-8 win over the Baltimore Orioles, Seattle (69-61) dropped to three games out of first place in the AL West. Despite losing eight of their past 10 games, the Mariners still have a three-game lead over the Kansas City Royals for the AL’s third and final wild-card playoff spot.