The Mariners will be without leadoff hitter and right fielder Victor Robles for at least 12 weeks following the left shoulder dislocation suffered making a spectacular catch on Sunday in San Francisco.
Results of imaging taken on the injured shoulder showed a small fracture in the humeral head. The team announced Tuesday that the belief as of now is the fracture should be able to heal without the need for surgery, but that it would take six weeks for the fracture to fully heal.
From there, the team estimates Robles would need another six weeks of rehabilitation work to be ready for a return to play. That timeline would put Robles’ potential return sometime in early July, just before the All-Star break under the most optimistic of timelines.
If surgery ends up being needed to repair the fracture, the timeline would change significantly.
The 27-year-old is in his first full season with the Mariners after reviving his career last year when he was signed by Seattle following his release by Washington. He’s in the first year of a two-year contract extension signed last summer and was one of the few Mariners bats off to a decent start. Robles was hitting .273 with three doubles in a limited sample size to start the season.
Robles’ catch will be in the conversation for catch-of-the-year throughout baseball, but it came at a heavy cost. His leaping grab into the netting in foul territory down right field line in the ninth inning of Sunday’s loss at Oracle Park caused his left arm to violently bend backward and dislocated the joint.
Robles had the shoulder put back into place before the team left the stadium in San Francisco, but it was immediately evident this wasn’t going to be a short-term injury.
Robles was in the Mariners clubhouse before Monday’s game against Houston with his left arm in a sling and later sat in the dugout as the M’s rallied for a 4-3 win over the Astros.
With Robles sidelined, Luke Raley started in right field for the opener against the Astros. That could end up being the long-term play until Robles is able to return. The M’s also recalled Dominic Canzone from Triple-A Tacoma to add additional outfield depth.
The batting order is also another question. Robles developed into an excellent leadoff hitter and stole 30 bases last season following his arrival with the Mariners.
Manager Dan Wilson opted to move Julio Rodríguez up in the order to the leadoff spot for the opener against Houston. Rodríguez went 0-for-4 with a pair of strikeouts. J.P. Crawford is another option with experience as a leadoff hitter but is off to a slow start hitting just .138 through the first 11 games.
This story will be updated.