Mariners CF Julio Rodríguez departs with back tightness

September 22, 2022 GMT
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Seattle Mariners center fielder Julio Rodriguez, middle, drops his glove in the dugout after leaving the field during the first inning of a baseball game against the Oakland Athletics in Oakland, Calif., Thursday, Sept. 22, 2022. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
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Seattle Mariners center fielder Julio Rodriguez, middle, drops his glove in the dugout after leaving the field during the first inning of a baseball game against the Oakland Athletics in Oakland, Calif., Thursday, Sept. 22, 2022. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Seattle Mariners rookie Julio Rodríguez left Thursday’s game at Oakland because of lower back tightness.

Rodríguez doubled and scored in the top of the first. The center fielder walked off the field slowly with a trainer in the bottom of the inning.

Jarred Kelenic moved from left to center field and Sam Haggerty entered the game in left.

Rodríguez recently missed three games in Anaheim with a lower back issue. The front-runner for AL Rookie of the Year is batting .280 with 27 homers and 73 RBIs in 129 games.

Seattle is trying to avoid a three-game sweep against the last-place Athletics.

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