Randy Arozarena injury just sent message to these Mariners players to step up

The Seattle Mariners tried to convince everyone that Randy Arozarena was only day-to-day after hurting his hamstring last Friday. On Tuesday, an MRI convinced them to stop lying to themselves. Arozarena is now on the IL, and nobody should be holding their breath for his return.

Sure, general manager Justin Hollander says the team doesn't expect more than a minimum stay on the 10-day IL, which would put Arozarena on track to return next week. But alas, hamstring strains are not historically known for healing quickly.

Per data from RosterResource, the average time missed with a hamstring strain in 2025 was 28 days. So, basically a month.

These Mariners players need to help carry the lineup and defense while Randy Arozarena is sidelined

No matter how long he's out for, losing Arozarena is pretty far from ideal for the Mariners. The 2021 AL Rookie of the Year and two-time All-Star has been their best player this season, hitting to a 136 OPS+ and posting a team-high 2.6 rWAR.

If it's a question of who must step up in his absence, the list starts with the guy who had first dibs on spelling him in left field in Tuesday's 3-1 win over the Baltimore Orioles.

Victor Robles, OF

Robles' start in place of Arozarena was his first starting appearance as a left fielder since 2024. He was tested right away, as a high fly ball by Taylor Ward took him to the wall in his attempt to make the catch.

Assuming the back tightness that kept Luke Raley out of the lineup clears up without an IL stint, he and Dominic Canzone may get the bulk of the action on either side of Julio Rodríguez in the outfield while Arozarena is out. The Mariners really can't ask for more than those two are already giving, as they've combined to hit 24 home runs.

But Robles? More from him would be more than welcome. He's still useful in the field and on the basepaths, but the 76 OPS+ he has for the last two seasons doesn't cut it even for a fourth outfielder. Hopefully, the extra at-bats he'll get during Arozarena's IL stay will light a fuse.

Rob Refsnyder, DH/OF

Refsnyder also got a start on Tuesday, namely at designated hitter. The next one might come in right field or left field, but the same thing is true either way: He likely has more action headed his way.

He's given Mariners fans every reason to treat this as a threat. Another 0-fer on Tuesday lowered his slash line for the season to .144/.216/.244. He has a 34 wRC+, the fifth-lowest in Mariners history among hitters who've taken at least 100 plate appearances.

As with Robles, the hope must be that more exposure leads to more hits. And for what it's worth, Refsnyder does have six of those to show for his last 21 at-bats.

Cal Raleigh, C and Julio Rodríguez, CF

It's a two-for-one special! And honestly, why not? Raleigh and Julio are supposed to be the carriers of the Mariners offense, and they just haven't done that in 2026 like they did in 2025:

• Combined wRC+ in 2025: 143
• Combined wRC+ in 2026: 93

Even if it's mostly Raleigh's fault, this is still a "Yikes!" for which Julio bears some responsibility. He was red-hot in May, but he's gone cold again in June with just 10 hits in 55 at-bats.

It was a welcome sign, then, that Raleigh and Julio drove in the only runs the Mariners got on Tuesday with a pair of RBI singles. They seem to understand the assignment, and that needs to remain the case even after Arozarena is back alongside them in the lineup.

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