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Seattle Mariners

Julio Rodríguez won’t go to MLB All-Star Game, Mariners announce

On Sept. 18, 2024, Julio Rodriguez of the Seattle Mariners reacts in the dugout after striking out during the fifth inning against the New York Yankees at T-Mobile Park in Seattle. (Tribune News Service)
By Tim Booth Seattle Times

DETROIT – Despite being chosen to make his third All-Star Game appearance, Julio Rodríguez won’t be going to Atlanta for next week’s festivities.

The Mariners announced Friday that Rodríguez had decided to pull out of the All-Star Game, saying that he will take the break to rest and get ready for the second half of the season.

Rodríguez was set to be part of a four-player contingent going to Atlanta along with starter Cal Raleigh and pitchers Bryan Woo and Andrés Muñoz. It was the largest group of All-Stars for the Mariners since 2018 when Mitch Haniger, Nelson Cruz, Edwin Diaz and Jean Segura were part of the American League roster.

“I’m really honored that my peers voted me into the All-Star Game – that means a lot to me,” Rodríguez posted on social media. “As much as I’d love to be out there, I’ve got to take this time to take care of my body and make sure I’m feeling right for the second half of the season. It’s definitely tough to miss out on the All-Star experience, but I’ll be cheering on all the guys and wishing them and their families an amazing week.”

There will still be four Mariners in Atlanta as Randy Arozarena was announced as Rodríguez’s replacement for the game.

Rodríguez was announced as a reserve for the team last Sunday via the players voting ballot, marking his third appearance. He was selected as a reserve in his rookie season in 2022 and was an injury replacement in 2023 for the All-Star Game at T-Mobile Park.

But taking a break this year might be for the best. His first half included mostly exceptional defense and some disappointing offensive production on the field. Off the field, Rodríguez faced the stress of a major burglary at his home while his girlfriend was at the residence back at the beginning of May.

On Friday, Rodríguez was sporting a small medicated pad on his left shin after getting hit by a foul ball off the bat of J.P. Crawford in the ninth inning on Thursday night. Rodríguez said his shin/ankle guard absorbed some of the impact but his shin was still sore.

“He grinds hard, and he’s played so much for us and he’s played hard for us,” M’s manager Dan Wilson said. “Like we’ve said, it’s a mature decision on his part to get some rest and I’m glad for him that he’s going to be able to do that.”

His selection this season was largely on the strength of a first-half performance where advanced metrics say he’s making a major impact on the defensive side – despite committing a pair of errors earlier this week in New York.

Rodríguez has posted a 3.1 WAR via Baseball-Reference and 2.2 WAR as calculated by FanGraphs through Thursday’s game. His bWAR ranks 10th in the AL among all position players.

But his performance at the plate has been wildly streaky and notably lacking much power. In the past 40 games entering Friday, Rodríguez has just 11 extra-base hits: nine doubles, one triple and only one home run.

And his past 10 games heading into the break have been concerning. Rodríguez is hitting just .122 with 13 strikeouts, two walks and an OPS of .358 during that span, including a 0-for-5 game on Thursday night in the extra innings loss to the Yankees.

Through 92 games, Rodríguez has a slash line of .244/.301/.386/.687 with 11 homers, 15 doubles and 44 RBIs. Thanks to the recent slump, his OPS+ sits at 100 – where 100 is considered league average.