Mariners' Julio Rodríguez shook off WBC injury scare in the greatest way possible

Sunday night's World Baseball Classic Semifinal game between the United States and the Dominican Republic was one of the best showcases of baseball talent in history.

Both lineups were full of MVPs, All-Stars, and elite players who played a tough and closely contested game down to the wire. For Mariners fans, the worst-case scenario almost came to life in the fourth inning when star center fielder Julio Rodríguez took a 98 mph fastball from Paul Skenes off the wrist.

It is always scary to see a Mariners star player get hit in the hand/wrist/forearm area, but this one came with less than two weeks before the start of the regular season. I watched in horror as Rodríguez bent over in pain and there was a lot of nervous fans in Seattle watching on. Thankfully, he was able to stay in the game after a short check in from the trainiers and went to first base. Then, in the next inning in center field, the best center fielder in baseball did what he does.

Julio Rodríguez gave Mariners fans a familiar thrill after his Paul Skenes HBP scare

After Aaron Judge smoked a ball out to center field, Rodríguez went back and leaped at the wall to pull back a home run. It was incredible to watch on such a big stage — exactly because we know that Seattle fans have seen this before.

The passion and joy that he and his Dominican Republic teammates was so fun to see. It was especially great to see after he took a fastball to the wrist. After Mariners fans were so nervous after the hit-by-pitch, it was so good to see him respond by robbing a home run.

This also was not the first time that the Mariners center fielder has shown off the "No Fly Zone" to the Yankees slugger. Last season he robbed Judge of a home run in Seattle that was another one of the star center fielder's highlight reel plays.

Unfortunately, this was not the first injury scare that a Mariners player suffered this World Baseball Classic. Utility man Miles Mastrobuoni was injured earlier in the tournament and that now leaves his status for the start of the season in jeopardy.

Mariners fans undoubtedly were able to take a deep sigh of relief after seeing their star come back from his injury scare to show that he is fully healthy by playing his normal elite center field defense. After that highlight point in the game, the score remained 2-1 and in the bottom of the ninth Rodríguez got a walk to give the D.R. a change to tie the game if he scored.

Unfortunately for the Dominican Republic, Rodríguez was stranded on third base as the game ended on a low strike three call that sent the Americans to the WBC Final. While it was disappointing for the D.R. to have the game end that way, the best part of it for Mariners fans was that their star center fielder was OK after his brush with disaster.