Don’t bank on Mariners’ Victor Robles getting suspension reduced

Victor Robles is appealing his 10-game suspension in hopes of returning to the Seattle Mariners’ lineup sooner, but MLB Network insider Jon Morosi isn’t optimistic it will change the penalty.

How the Seattle Mariners can handle Victor Robles’ 10-game suspension

Robles was handed his punishment Tuesday for throwing his bat toward the mound after a high and inside fastball while playing Sunday for the Triple-A Tacoma Rainiers on a rehab assignment. He issued an apology the same night as the incident, citing the frequency he had been hit by pitches that week (three times officially plus two more pitches he technically swung at), missing most of the MLB season due to injury, and the recent death of his mother for not being able to keep his emotions in check.

Robles is working his way back from a fractured humeral head and dislocated shoulder that has kept him out of action since April 6.

Talking Thursday to Seattle Sports’ Wyman and Bob, Morosi said, “I would not expect that suspension is going to get reduced by much, if at all.”

Morosi’s reason is that he thinks the punishment fits Robles’ actions, and there aren’t really examples of similar incidents that provide a guideline of what a reduced penalty would be.

“In my lifetime, I haven’t seen it a whole lot obviously, and so there’s not a big precedent,” Morosi said. “I understand he posted that he’s been hit a lot since coming back on the rehab assignment and even when he was playing (before Robles’ injury), and I get that, but you can’t throw a bat. It doesn’t excuse that, and I think the suspension is commensurate with that.

“It’s hard to reduce that based on precedent, there is not a ton of precedent to reduce it based on, and that’s a very, very dangerous thing. I mean, it was awful and it could have been a lot worse. So I don’t think that he’s going to be getting a whole lot of grace on that one, to be honest with you.”

Robles’ suspension hurts the Mariners because he represents something missing for Seattle: a right-handed bat in right field.

While Seattle has decent overall numbers against left-handed pitching this year – they’re hitting .236 (18th in MLB) with a .706 OPS (13th) and 51 home runs (second) against lefties – the vast majority of the damage has been done by three players: Cal Raleigh (17 homers, 1.005 OPS against lefties), Julio Rodríguez (10 homers, .847 OPS) and Randy Arozarena (seven homers, .793 OPS).

If you exclude Raleigh, Rodríguez and Arozarena, Seattle is hitting just .219 with 17 homers this year against southpaws.

Without Robles, the Mariners’ options in right field are lefty hitters Dominic Canzone and Luke Raley, and the righty-hitting Dylan Moore, who is mired in a 3-for-74 slump (.045 average) since May 28.

“I think the Mariners have to basically proceed as if (Robles) is not going to be able to come back to be that righty bat in right field,” Morosi said, “which is tough because that’s what they need right now. You’ve seen them not be able to get a lot of production against lefties and really it’s unfortunate all the way around.”

Hear the full Wyman and Bob conversation with weekly guest and MLB Network insider Jon Morosi in the podcast at this link or in the player near the top of this post. Catch Wyman and Bob live from 2-7 p.m. weekdays on Seattle Sports.

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