"This team is having the worst luck" "It really feels like the wheels are falling all the way off here" - Seattle Mariners fans distraught as star rookie Julio Rodriguez exits game early with back injury

The Seattle Mariners had to take their American League Rookie of the Year frontrunner, Julio Rodriguez, out of the game today. It has been announced that he is dealing with back tightness after leaving the game in the bottom of the first inning. This could be a massive blow for the Mariners.

The injury appeared to have occurred at the plate for Rodriguez as he pulled up rounding the bases on his first inning hit. He didn't leave the game until the bottom of the inning, when the Mariners took the field. With the rookie having such a great season thus far, this was the last thing Seattle fans wanted to see.

The Seattle Mariners are already without Eugenio Suarez with a right index finger fracture. There's no timetable for his return. The team is also without catcher Tom Murphy, who dislocated his shoulder. He isn't expected to return this season.

The team cannot afford any more injuries at this point. They are fighting for one of the American League's Wild Card spots. Fans can't help but be disappointed by the timing of all of these injuries.

Julio Rodriguez didn't play in Seattle's previous series against the Los Angeles Angels due to the same back issue. He returned to the Seattle lineup on Tuesday for the start of their series against the Oakland Athletics. He played Tuesday and Wednesday before having to be taken out today.

The rookie was visibly frustrated exiting the game today, slamming his glove as he entered the dugout. The injury has to be annoying for someone who has been on absolute fire this year.

Rodriguez was batting .297 with 27 home runs and 25 stolen bases going into Thursday. He is ahead of Baltimore Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman for AL Rookie of the Year. Rutschman is batting .254 with 11 home runs on the season. Rodriguez has had a much better season than Rutschman so far.

The Seattle Mariners need Julio Rodriguez in their lineup to secure their postseason berth

The Seattle Mariners are hoping that Julio Rodriguez just needs some rest and will be back soon. They cannot afford to lose him while they battle for a playoff position.

The Mariners are 81-67 going into Thursday. This is good for the last American League Wild Card spot. They hold a four-game lead over the Baltimore Orioles and a 5.5 game lead over the Chicago White Sox. Seattle will need to finish out their season strong if they want to hold onto that last Wild Card spot.

About the author

Jared "Bloomy" Bloom is a journalist covering Major League Baseball at Sportskeeda and a former college baseball pitcher from Illinois, who just graduated with a Master's degree in Sport Psychology.

A writer with over 3 years of experience, Jared is consistently more concerned with quality than quantity, thoroughly checking multiple sources of information, and prides himself in being knowledgeable not just about MLB, but the game of baseball in general. He loves breaking down plays and game-changing moments, as well as looking closer into players' statistics.

Jared is a die-hard Chicago White Sox fan, and one of his earliest memories is seeing his great-grandfather, a huge Sox fan, in his rocking chair watching a game. Jared started playing from the age of 5 with his grandfather coaching him early on.

Jared loved Tim Lincecum for his quirky delivery and looked up to him as a role model when playing. His current favorite is Phillies star Bryce Harper, an exciting player who doesn't let injuries hold him back. Jared's favorite sports moment is Mark Buehrle's opening day between-the-legs glove flip to first base in 2010.

When he is not watching or writing about baseball, Jared can be found racing BMX at his local Rockford BMX track or coaching his local youth travel baseball team.

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