Why Victor Robles's Suspension Puts Seattle Mariners in Unenviable Roster Bind
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Seattle Mariners outfielder Victor Robles was suspended for 10 games on Tuesday in response to his actions at a minor league rehab game on Sunday for Triple-A Tacoma.
After being hit for the fifth time in just a handful of rehab games, Robles threw his bat at pitcher Joey Estes. Though he did not make contact, the intent was clear, and the impact on the Mariners moving forward is profound.
According to Seattle Times reporter Ryan Divish, Robles will have to serve his suspension at the major league-level, and the Mariners will be forced to play a man down for 10 games as he does it. That is certainly not ideal as the M's battle for a playoff spot over the final six weeks of the season.
Confirmed by MLB sources, the Mariners would have to play a man down on their roster while Robles serves his suspension.
— Ryan Divish (@RyanDivish) August 19, 2025
Essentially, there are two options for the Mariners at this point, and it should be noted that Robles is appealing the suspension.
Re-instate Robles immediately
The Mariners wanted to get him 40-50 rehab at-bats in the minor leagues. He's had 15. If they activate him now, they'd be doing two things: One, they'd bring Robles back before the target and they wouldn't even be sure he'd be ready when the 10 games are up.
Furthermore, the Mariners would have to DFA someone in order to bring him back, only to play a man down on the roster. Of course, given the limited playing time of guys like Dylan Moore, you could argue that the Mariners are already playing a man down, so it may not be much different than what they've experienced for weeks now.
However, if they get the 10 games done early, they'd have access to Robles for more of September.
Wait until Sept. 1
Always the plan it seemed, Robles could come back on Sept. 1 when the rosters expand. Seattle would still be a man down, but they'd have the ability to play with the same bench construction they've played with all along.
They wouldn't need to DFA anyone, and they wouldn't be impacted by the loss of Robles numbers-wise, but they also would get less of his availability at a critical point of the season.
Other questions to ask:
Is there a chance that the Mariners don't want to deal with any of this and want to sit Robles the rest of the season? Can they even do that?
He's not injured, so he can't be stashed on the injured list. He's out of options, so he can't be placed in the minor leagues. It feels like the Players Association would have something to say about the M's trying to prevent him from playing.
An unenviable position indeed.
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