Victor Robles responds to heinous actions but it shouldn't change Mariners' plans

We may never know exactly what was going through Victor Robles' head when he chucked his bat at an opposing pitcher on Sunday. And frankly, it shouldn't matter as far as MLB and the Seattle Mariners are concerned.

Robles nonetheless sought to explain himself on Monday in the form of an apologetic statement on Instagram, which was captured and posted on X by the Marine Layer Podcast:

That Robles was feeling "pressure" after getting hit for the fifth time in just 15 at-bats for the Triple-A Tacoma Rainiers was obvious even in the moment. The real heart of his apology is in this part:

"Coming off a long rehab and being away from the game for most of the season has been physically and mentally challenging. Adding to that, the recent passing of my mother has been incredibly hard, and I’ve been doing my best to hold it together. That’s not an excuse, but some context I feel you deserve to understand where I’m coming from."

Victor Robles on Instagram

It's an explanation that adds some valuable context to where Robles' head was at when he hurled his bat at Las Vegas Aviators pitcher Joey Estes. It helps explain what was going on, and maybe even makes him sympathetic.

As he said, though, it's not an excuse.

The Mariners need to prepare like Victor Robles won't be available

If anything, the surprising part is that MLB has not yet come down on the 28-year-old outfielder. He is all but certain to receive a suspension, and it will likely not be a short one.

As ESPN's Jeff Passan put it in his weekly talk with Brock and Salk on Tuesday: "Clearly he’s been going through a lot. All of us go through a lot and we don’t throw things at other people. The suspension, I fear, will be long and it will be entirely justified.”

As we noted on Sunday, Delmon Young was once hit with a 50-game suspension in 2006 as a penalty for throwing his bat and hitting an umpire during a minor league game. Robles thankfully didn't hit Estes with his own bat throw, but MLB can't assume that his intentions were innocent. You don't throw a bat at someone as a warning shot. You do so to cause damage.

For their part, the Mariners must err on the side of caution and assume that Robles won't actually be able to complete his rehab assignment for the Rainiers. And it's probably just as well, as how manager Dan Wilson was going to work him back into the lineup was a hard question to begin with.

Though Robles entered the 2025 season as the Mariners' starting right fielder after a surprise breakout in 2024, they have found other solutions at the position since he fractured his left shoulder back in April. Dominic Canzone has wielded a warm bat (.817 OPS) since returning from the minors in June, and Luke Raley is fresh off the injured list.

Given the logjam in right field and the sheer amount of time Robles has missed, he may have only returned to the Mariners to work as a right-handed platoon hitter, pinch runner, and defensive replacement. That's the kind of player a team can live without.

As Robles is under contract for next season at a modest $5.125 million, this need not be the end of his Mariners career. But for now, at least, the team's attitude must be that he won't be seen or missed for the rest of 2025.