When Robinson Cano last appeared in the Mariners’ lineup, he went 4-for-5 with a homer and three RBIs. That was May 10 in an 11-6 victory at Philadelphia that boosted the Mariners to .500 at 17-17.
Cano aggravated a strained right quadriceps muscle in his last at-bat that day, ironically, by running hard to first base on an infield grounder. (His proclivity for throttling down on routine grounders often prompted criticism in the past.)
The injury caused Cano to miss 11 games. The Mariners went 3-8 in his absence, which brings them into Tuesday’s series opener against Washington at Nationals Park at 20-25 and occupying last place in the American League West Division.