DANNY AND GALLANT

Mariners GM Jerry Dipoto says Kyle Lewis return is near, talks possible Julio Rodríguez debut in ’21

Apr 15, 2021, 11:08 AM

Mariners Kyle Lewis...

Kyle Lewis has spent the Mariners' season thus far on the injured list. (AP)

(AP)

Mariners general manager Jerry Dipoto jumped on a bit early Thursday for his weekly interview on 710 ESPN Seattle’s Danny and Gallant due to the Mariners’ doubleheader in Baltimore, and while it was a shorter version of The Jerry Dipoto Show than usual, he still had some interesting things to talk about.

M’s know what they want from Gonzales, Dunn to correct rocky starts

Let’s take a close look at what he had to say about Kyle Lewis’ recovery from a bone bruise on his surgically-repaired right knee and the possibility of outfield prospect Julio Rodríguez making his big league debut before the end of the season.

‘Very optimistic’ Kyle Lewis returns early next week

Lewis, the 2020 American League Rookie of the Year, has spent the first few weeks of the season on the 10-day injured list due to a bruise on his knee he suffered from jumping into a wall going after a fly ball late in spring training. Dipoto told Danny O’Neil and guest host Stacy Rost on Thursday that the M’s are hopeful Lewis will get to make his 2021 debut at T-Mobile Park early next week in a two-game series against the defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers.

“We’re not expecting him back for the weekend versus the Astros, but right now we’re very optimistic that we’re going to get him back for that Dodgers series, or at least a portion of it, and be ready to go,” Dipoto said. “So we should see K-Lew early next week and, fingers crossed, for the remainder of the year, because it has been a void in the middle of our lineup not having his bat. We’ve been able to weather the storm just fine to this point but it sure is going to be nice to have him back in there.”

After the Mariners wrap up their road trip with Thursday’s twinbill in Baltimore, they will return to Seattle to start a three-game set Friday against Houston followed by two against the Dodgers on Monday and Tuesday.

Dipoto said Lewis has been taking part in workouts at Seattle’s alternate site, which is being held at T-Mobile Park.

“Kyle’s doing great. He’s now taking at-bats at our alt site. He’s running well. I think he feels good, which is the most important thing,” Dipoto said.

Can Rodríguez join the Mariners by the end of this season?

Dipoto made some waves during an appearance on SiriusXM’s The GM Show last Sunday when he didn’t rule out Rodríguez making his MLB debut before his 21st birthday, which isn’t until December. Dipoto provided a bit of clarity on that statement Thursday.

“Any of our top prospects could be (up with the Mariners in 2021),” he said. “… It’s such a talented group of players with Jarred Kelenic and Julio Rodríguez and Logan Gilbert, Cal Raleigh. We could take it a step further with our talented young pitchers. These are the types of players that can jump two and three levels in a season.”

So while Dipoto didn’t say you should count on Rodríguez being a September call-up this year, he remains open to the idea.

“Julio is going to start this season at the A-level, and we feel like that’s what’s best for his current development, but there’s no question that his level of talent can put him in position to make a couple of jumps (this year). Is it likely? Probably not. But is it possible? There’s no question that his talent is at that level.”

The Jerry Dipoto Show airs at 8:30 a.m. each Thursday on 710 ESPN Seattle’s Danny and Gallant (barring doubleheaders with 9:35 a.m. start times). You can hear this week’s episode in full at this link or in the player below.

Follow Brent Stecker on Twitter.

Table Setter: If these M’s are making the leap, this is a good start

Mariners Roof Report

Brought to you by
Rain then Showers And Thunderstorms
High 54° | Low 41°
Roof is open
Red Sox at Mariners today at 7:10pm

Danny and Gallant

Seahawks Alex Collins...

Brent Stecker

Huard: What do Seahawks do at No. 2 RB with Alex Collins, Rashaad Penny?

Alex Collins was impressive this preseason, but was it enough to earn the job as the Seahawks' backup to Chris Carson over Rashaad Penny?

3 years ago

Seahawks Darrell Taylor...

Paul Gallant

Gallant: 4 takeaways after Seahawks wrap up preseason with win

Paul Gallant takes stock of the Seahawks after they wrapped up the preseason with a 27-0 win over the Chargers on Saturday night.

3 years ago

Seahawks TE Gerald Everett...

Brandon Gustafson

Bumpus: Why TE Gerald Everett will be Seahawks’ most impactful offseason addition

When it comes to every new player the Seahawks added this offseason, Michael Bumpus is counting on TE Gerald Everett to stand out the most.

3 years ago

Seahawks QB Russell Wilson...

Paul Gallant

Gallant: Will Seahawks’ Russell Wilson, a pioneer of mobile QBs, adapt into his 30s?

Seahawks QB Russell Wilson has been a mobile QB for his whole career, but Paul Gallant hopes he'll consider a few things as he loses a step.

3 years ago

Mariners OF Kyle Lewis...

Brandon Gustafson

Jerry Dipoto Show: His future with the Mariners, Flexen’s consistency, Lewis’ return

Mariners GM Jerry Dipoto joined Danny & Gallant to talk about the playoff race, his future in Seattle, and the close return of a key player.

3 years ago

Seahawks John Reid...

Brandon Gustafson

Bumpus: What the addition of John Reid means for Seahawks’ CB room

The Seahawks traded for second-year CB John Reid this week. Michael Bumpus breaks down what that means for Seattle's CB competition.

3 years ago

Mariners GM Jerry Dipoto says Kyle Lewis return is near, talks possible Julio Rodríguez debut in ’21