Mariners get encouraging injury update on Julio Rodriguez

SEATTLE – After an injury scare Saturday, Mariners star center fielder Julio Rodriguez was out of the lineup for Sunday’s series finale against the Toronto Blue Jays.

But the Mariners did get a positive update on Rodriguez’s sore right quad muscle.

Medical scans came back clean, manager Scott Servais said.

“He’s going to be fine,” Servais said Sunday morning. “He’s just a little sore. … I think we avoided anything real serious.”

In the Mariners clubhouse before Sunday’s game, Rodriguez said he was “OK,” but otherwise declined to offer details.

Rodriguez was scheduled to get further treatment from the Mariners’ training staff Sunday.

The 23-year-old felt discomfort in his quad while doing sprints during pregame warmups Saturday. He started the game in center field, but the discomfort remained and he was lifted after the top of the first inning.

The Mariners have a scheduled off day Monday to travel to San Diego to open a six-game road trip.

Servais planned to give Rodriguez Sunday and Monday off in hopes the center fielder would be able to return for Tuesday’s game against the Padres.

But Servais said he could potentially use Rodriguez as a pinch hitter late in Sunday’s game against the Blue Jays, if Rodriguez’s was feeling well enough.

Mired in a prolonged slump, Rodriguez was coming off his best game of the season on Thursday, when he homered and doubled in a comeback victory over the Orioles.

“We need this guy,” Servais said. “The frustrating thing is he was starting the see the timing with where he was at the plate. So hopefully this is not a setback there at all, and I don’t suspect it will be.”

Victor Robles was in the lineup in center field Saturday.

The right-handed-hitting Robles has played sparingly since the Mariners signed him as a free agent in early June.

He has worked on some swing adjustments with hitting coaches, and he has produced in limited at-bats with the Mariners, hitting .316 (6 for 19) with two doubles and an .802 OPS.

Robles is part of a left-field platoon, but the Mariners just haven’t faced many left-handed starting pitchers lately.

“The thing that stands out about Victor – he may have one of those upbeat, positive personalities of anybody in our clubhouse,” Servais said. “And it’s hard when you’re not playing that much. But he shows up every day a smile on his face.”

Woo, Santos near return

Bryan Woo reported feeling good after his 45-pitch rehab start with the High-A Everett AquaSox on Saturday night.

Mixing in a new mystery pitch, Woo threw his scheduled 45 pitches (24 strikes), with two walks and two strikeouts. He surrendered a home run to the right-field short porch at Funko Field.

Reliever Gregory Santos also pitched in Everett on Saturday, his second rehab outing. He was efficient and “electric,” as Servais put it, needed just eight pitches (even strikes) to throw a perfect inning, with one punchout.

Santos, 24, threw a scoreless for Triple-A Tacoma on Tuesday in his first rehab outing.

There’s a good chance both Woo and Santos will make their next appearances for the Mariners.

Woo’s next turn in the rotation would come Friday when the Mariners play the Angels in Anaheim.

If the Mariners do decided to active Woo, he would still be on a limited pitch count. But given how efficient Woo has been this season, Servais is hopeful Woo could get through five innings even on 60-65 pitches.