Mariners’ Julio Rodriguez named American League Player of the Week; JP Crawford return from injury

CHICAGO – When you rack up more hits and generate more offense than some teams do in a week, as well as making Major League Baseball history, well, earning the American League Player of the Week honors is sort of a given.

On Monday, in what was a formality, Julio Rodriguez was named the AL Player of the Week for Aug. 14-20.

The 22-year-old superstar posted a .568/.579/.838 slash line with four doubles, two homers, 12 RBIs and six stolen bases in seven games. He had 21 hits in seven games, including four consecutive games of four or more hits. In that four-game span from Wednesday through Saturday, he tallied 17 hits, setting an MLB record (since 1901), surpassing Milt Stock of the 1925 Brooklyn Robins, who had 16 hits in four games that season . He also tied Stock’s MLB record for most consecutive four-plus hit games (4) during that span.

It’s the third time in his brief career that Rodriguez has been the named AL Player of the Week, also earning the award for June 27-July 3, 2022, and May 22-28 this season.

In 121 games this season, Rodriguez has posted .278/.336/.462 with 30 doubles, a triple, 21 homers, 79 RBIs, 76 runs scored and 33 stolen bases.

He is the only player in Mariners history to hit 20-plus homers in each of his first two big league seasons and one of just two players in MLB history with 20-plus homers and 20-plus stolen bases in each of his first two seasons, along with Kansas City’s Bobby Witt Jr. (also 2022-23).

After a slow start to his sophomore season, Rodriguez has picked up since July 1, posting a .346/.393/.555 slash line with 16 doubles, eight homers, 37 RBIs, 29 runs scored and 15 stolen bases.

Mariners reinstate J.P. Crawford

The Mariners will have a return to normalcy for their infield and the top of the lineup.

As expected, shortstop J.P. Crawford was reinstated from the seven-day concussion injured list on Monday afternoon as part of a series of roster moves before the three-game series vs. the White Sox.

Infielder/outfielder Sam Haggerty, who was called up when Crawford suffered the concussion, was optioned back to Triple-A Tacoma.

In another anticipated move, Seattle placed right-handed pitcher Emerson Hancock on the 15-day injured list with muscle strain on his right side. Hancock felt his lat tighten up during Sunday’s outing versus the Houston Astros and was removed from the game after just two innings.

Seattle recalled right-handed pitcher Darren McCaughan to provide some innings depth for the bullpen.

Crawford, 28, suffered the concussion in a game on Aug. 9 at T-Mobile Park, colliding with third baseman Eugenio Suarez on a ground ball. He was placed on the injured list two days later.

He has been the Mariners’ most valuable player this season for his contributions at the plate and in the field. He has a .266/.379/.411 slash line with 26 doubles, 10 homers, 38 RBIs, 63 runs scored, 68 walks and 86 strikeouts. He ranks third in the American League in on-base percentage (.379) and fourth in walks (68) this season.

Haggerty played in eight games since being recalled from Tacoma, tallying three hits in 11 at-bats with his first homer of the season.

McCaughan has made two MLB appearances this season, allowing three runs in four innings pitched with three walks and seven strikeouts. In 20 starts with Tacoma, he has a 6-6 record with a 5.99 ERA with 31 walks and 106 strikeouts in 112 2/3 innings pitched.