Seattle Mariners rookie sensation Julio Rodriguez, who has been on the 10-day injured list with a lower back strain, is expected to return to the starting lineup Monday in the final series of the regular-season against the Detroit Tigers.
Rodriguez last played on Sept. 22 and was on the IL on Friday when the club clinched its first American League playoff berth since 2001.
According to Mariners manager Scott Servais, Rodriguez finished his rehab work Sunday.
Rodriguez, who burst onto the major league scene earlier this year and was named to the AL All-Star team, missed three games Sept. 17-19 with tightness in his lower back. After returning to the lineup Sept. 20, he left a Sept. 22 game in the bottom of the first inning.
Rodriguez leads the Mariners in batting average (.280) and is second in homers (27), hits (140) and on-base percentage (.342). He has 24 doubles and 73 RBIs in 129 games.
