SEATTLE — Seattle Mariners center fielder Julio Rodriguez, put on the seven-day injured list July 3 because of a concussion, was activated Saturday and drove in the winning run in his club’s 4-3, 10-inning victory over the San Francisco Giants.
Rodriguez, a three-time All-Star who served as the designated hitter and batted second, went 0-for-4, but he hit a sacrifice fly to left in extra innings, and Victor Robles dashed home with the final run. It was Rodriguez’s second career walk-off plate appearance, and was the Mariners’ seventh victory this season in their final at-bat.
To clear room for Rodriguez, the Mariners designated utilityman Miles Mastrobuoni for assignment earlier in the day.
Rodriguez was struck by a ball in the back of the head in a 1-0 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on July 2. He took part in pregame drills, ran the bases and took swings off a pitching machine Friday, general manager Justin Hollander said.
Rodriguez played in a career-high 160 games last season. He had played in 87 games this season, hitting .259 with 15 doubles, 14 home runs, 40 RBIs and 12 stolen bases.
Meanwhile, All-Star utilityman Brendan Donovan started a rehab assignment for Triple-A Tacoma on Friday. Donovan was put on the 10-day injured list because of a left groin muscle strain in May.
Donovan, 29, appeared in a game for the Mariners’ Arizona Complex League team Wednesday, going 0-for-3 with three strikeouts and a walk.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
