Mariners star Julio Rodríguez leaves win over Astros due to ankle injury after crashing into outfield wall

Two-time Seattle Mariners All-Star Julio Rodríguez left Sunday's 6-4 win over the Houston Astros due to an ankle injury after a violent collision with the outfield wall.

After the game, manager Scott Servais told reporters that X-rays were negative while calling the injury "a little bit of an ankle sprain." A timeline for Rodríguez's return wasn't initially clear.

Rodríguez attempted to make a play on a deep fly ball off the bat of Yordan Álvarez. But he crashed into the wall and dropped the ball at the warning track. Both of his feet hit the wall, and he left a gash in the wall from the spikes on his left shoe. He immediately grabbed his right ankle in pain when he hit the ground.

Rodríguez spent several moments on the ground before standing up and being helped off the field by a trainer. He was able to limp off the field while putting weight on his right foot but did not return to the game.

Alvarez's triple on play helps him to cycle

Álvarez reached third base on the play for an RBI triple that cut Seattle's lead to 3-2 in the top of the sixth inning. The hit was Álvarez's third of the day after a first-inning single and a fourth-inning home run. He went on to hit a double in the eighth inning to complete a cycle.

Astros, Mariners in tight AL West battle

Rodríguez, 23, was the 2021 AL Rookie of the Year and made the All-Star team in his first two MLB seasons. He's off to a relatively slow start this season after averaging 30 home runs and hitting .275 or better in his first two seasons.

In 99 games before Sunday, Rodríguez was slashing .265/.317/.375 with nine home runs, 37 RBI and 18 stolen bases. He'd picked up the pace recently, with five multi-hit games and four home runs in his previous 12 outings.

The Mariners are in a battle with the Astros atop the AL West. They're tied with the Astros for first place following Sunday's victory.