The Mariners announced that outfielder Julio Rodriguez was activated from the 10-day injured list. ESPN’s Buster Olney (X-Link) reported today that Seattle plans to activate Rodriguez in time for today’s game against the Mets. Infielder Ryan Bliss was sent to Triple-A in the corresponding step.

After colliding with the outfield wall, Rodriguez suffered a sprained right ankle on July 21 and was placed on the injured list a few days later. Just yesterday, reports indicated that Rodriguez was unlikely to play today, but the Mariners were considering him day-to-day as his running ability had improved somewhat. Of course, the Mariners won’t take any unnecessary risks with Rodriguez’s health, but with Seattle locked in a bitter battle with the Astros for the AL West lead, both Rodriguez and the team had an obvious desire to get him back to action as soon as possible.

Rodriguez will be the designated hitter in tonight’s lineup, which may be the most common way to use Rodriguez until his ankle feels fully ready for regular center field. Using Rodriguez as the DH also allows Seattle to Robert Robles in center field, as Robles has (surprisingly) been one of the Mariners’ better hitters since being signed in early June.

The timing of Rodriguez’s placement on the injured list couldn’t have been worse, as he came out just as his batting was waking up from a season-long slump. Rodriguez struggled to a .244/.294/.324 batting average and seven home runs in his first 364 plate appearances, but he had hit four home runs and posted a 1.219 OPS in his 49 plate appearances before his injury. That run of success brought his season-long wRC+ back up to a league-average 100. Rodriguez has continued to provide strong defense in center field, but Robles has also helped out well in terms of hand work.