The Seattle Mariners coasted to a 4-0 Game 1 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays to open their Wild Card series yesterday. Not everything was good for the Mariners, though, as they watched their young star Julio Rodriguez get hit by a pitch twice in the contest, raising concerns about his injury status moving forward.

Rodriguez played the entire game, but he took a beating in this one. The good news is that Rodriguez should be good to go moving forward for the Mariners, which is particularly important considering they can move onto the Divisional Round if they beat Toronto again today. Manager Scott Servais said that Rodriguez is a bit sore, but shouldn't miss time as a result of the hit by pitches.

“Yeah, I was scared at first. Thank God for the pad. They’re a little sore, but it’s nothing to be concerned about.” – Scott Servais, The Seattle Times

Marines fans can breathe a sigh of relief after hearing Servais' comments. It was obviously good to see Rodriguez finish the game, and it would probably take a lot to hold him out of Seattle's upcoming games at this point. But still, getting the green light from Servais is a great sign here.

Julio Rodriguez figures to be in the Mariners lineup as they try to send the Blue Jays packing and advance to the Divisional Round for a matchup with the Houston Astros. Seattle will have to give the Blue Jays their best punch if they intend on sending them home, and they are going to need Rodriguez present if they intend on winning. Luckily, it sounds like he avoided an injury scare and will be good to go for Game 2 of the series.