J-Rod (concussion) activated, back in lineup for first time since July 2

SEATTLE -- After overcoming the first concussion of his life, Julio Rodríguez said he wouldn’t wish the experience he went through over the past two weeks on anybody.

The Mariners’ center fielder was ready to put it behind him, having been activated off the 7-day concussion injured list for Saturday night’s game against the Giants.

“It was definitely scary, I would say, because you don't know how to really navigate that,” Rodríguez said. “It's something that you've got to let it heal and be definitely cautious and careful.”

Saturday marked Rodríguez’s first action since sustaining the concussion on July 2, and he went on to deliver a walk-off sacrifice fly in the 10th inning that lifted Seattle to a sorely needed 4-3 win.

Rodríguez hit No. 2 in the order and was the designated hitter, a position he could see more action at in the coming days as he eases back. He went through another full pregame workout -- as he did on Friday, aside from batting practice on the field -- that included his throwing program and fielding drills in center field.

Those benchmarks on Friday were the last that the club wanted him to clear, in a more up-close environment, as he did not necessitate a Minor League rehab assignment.

“We'll just kind of see how it goes tonight and how he recovers,” Mariners manager Dan Wilson said. “Yesterday, he really ramped up the activity and you know got to full speed and things seemed to work pretty well.”

Rodríguez said he began to turn a corner on Monday, after symptoms lingered for well over a week. Beyond rest and attempting to get back to a normal sleep routine, chiropractic care helped stabilize some of the vision issues that were a byproduct.

“The toughest part is that it's your brain,” Rodríguez said. “It's like, you can give treatment to your legs, to your arm, and you can take an MRI or like to see it. But your brain, you've just got to let it heal. And not really knowing how that works really, too, I thought that was a tough part -- because getting dizzy and like kind of getting your heart rate to a certain point, that can start causing trouble to you. I've never experienced anything like that.”

Rodríguez sustained the concussion when taking a 78.2 mph throw directly off the back of his helmet on a double-play attempt while running the bases. After the adrenaline subsided, he knew something was off but thought symptoms would subside after a few moments -- but they didn’t.

“You just feel like you're kind of watching yourself from like a third point of view, instead of feeling like yourself,” Rodríguez said.

The Mariners have missed Rodríguez mightily in the 15 days that he’s been sidelined, having gone 3-7 in this stretch with a .613 OPS and 3.5 runs per game, each of which ranked fourth-lowest in MLB.

For the season, Rodríguez has slashed .259/.323/.424 for a .747 OPS, which is nearly identical to his first-half clip over his first four seasons (.260/.320/.419 and a .739 OPS).

But the second half is typically his time to shine. Dating back to his 2022 rookie season, he ranks seventh in OPS (.902) and ninth in homers (64) among 195 qualified hitters after the All-Star break.

As for the Mariners team-wide, despite being under .500 (48-50), they remain in the thick of the American League playoff race -- 1 1/2 games back of first place in the division and one game back of the final AL Wild Card spot.

But they recognize that they’re reaching crunch time, especially with the Aug. 3 Trade Deadline looming.

“Continue to try to find a way,” Rodríguez said. “I feel like that's kind of what I would want for us. Try to continue to find a way, regardless of how it was in the first half. We have a game to play today, and we have many more ahead of us. I feel like, stay resilient, and that's really what I'm looking for for the team, and what I'm looking to bring, too.”