Randy Arozarena is quietly having another excellent season with the Seattle Mariners. Now in his third year with the club, the 31-year-old has appeared in every game so far, proving to be a reliable presence in the lineup for a team that has dealt with plenty of injuries across the position player group.
Across 70 appearances, he has posted a .290 batting average, .377 on-base percentage, .825 OPS, seven home runs and 33 RBIs.
Arozarena's individual efforts have helped the Mariners remain competitive while the rest of the team was struggling. He is a big reason the club owns sole possession of first place in the American League West.
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Unfortunately, during Friday's game against the Washington Nationals, Arozarena was lifted early with an apparent injury. He singled, stole second and scored during his first plate appearance in the second inning, helping Seattle jump out to an early lead.
Then in his next plate appearance, Arozarena grounded a ball weakly to the shortstop and attempted to leg out an infield single. Not only was he thrown out, but he immediately showed signs of discomfort after failing to beat the throw.
He had a lengthy conversation with the training staff before walking back to the dugout. In the bottom of the third inning, Arozarena was replaced by backup outfielder Victor Robles.
After the game, Mariners manager Dan Wilson announced the reason for his early exit and an update on his condition. "He's okay. Hamstring strain, might have been more of a spasm or cramp. He's day-to-day at this point and we'll assess a little bit more in the morning and see how he's doing," Wilson said.
It is good news that it is more of a day-to-day injury rather than an injured list stint for Arozarena. He is having one of his most complete seasons yet, and it comes at an important point in his career.
Arozarena will be a free agent at the end of the year and is setting himself up for a lucrative new contract. However, that is the least of his concerns right now. Arozarena's next chance to return to the starting lineup will come on Saturday.
