Seattle Mariners star outfielder Julio Rodriguez is set to make his return to the lineup on Sunday against the New York Mets, according to ESPN's Buster Olney. Rodriguez will be activated off the injured list and take the designated hitter spot for Sunday's game.

Rodriguez hasn't played since July 21 due to a high ankle sprain. The Mariners star suffered the injury while making a play on the ball up against the fence in center field. While it's unclear when Rodriguez will return to the outfield, using him as a designated hitter will allow him to ease his way back into the lineup.

The 23-year-old Rodriguez is having a bit of a down season after making the All-Star Game the first two years of his career, but he had found his groove and power right before suffering the ankle injury. Seattle is hoping he'll regain that groove down the stretch during a tight race for the AL West. Rodriguez is slashing .263/.315/.372 this year, with 11 home runs and 37 RBI to his name. This comes after he hit 32 dingers and drove in 103 runs in 2023.

If Rodriguez returns to form, that will be a huge boost for a Mariners team that has struggled offensively for much of the season.

Julio Rodriguez, Mariners fighting for AL West

Seattle Mariners center fielder Julio Rodriguez (44) celebrates in the dugout after scoring a run against the Toronto Blue Jays during the third inning at T-Mobile Park.
Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports

Seattle has won three games in a row, getting them to 62-56 on the year. That has them tied with the similarly surging Houston Astros, who have won four games in a row and have totally turned their season around after a dismal start.

Related NewsArticle continues below
Mets vs Mariners prediction, odds, pick – 8/11/2024
Mets vs Mariners prediction, odds, pick – 8/10/2024
Mets vs Mariners prediction, odds, pick – 8/9/2024
Mariners star Julio Rodriguez’s primary concern amid injury recovery

The Mariners have scored the third-fewest runs in the AL in 2024, but the return of Julio Rodriguez and the trade for Randy Arozarena make their lineup much more formidable. Seattle is going to have to score more runs in order to pull out the AL West over the Astros.

Or maybe the Mariners won't have to do that if their pitching staff continues on at such an elite level. Seattle hasn't allowed a run yet against New York in this series, improving a league-best ERA to 3.44 after Saturday's 4-0 shutout followed up Friday's 6-0 win.

Either way, getting Rodriguez back should be a positive during this intense race.