Mariners Call Up Connor Joe From Tacoma as Robles Hits IL

Victor Robles strained his right pectoral muscle during pregame defensive drills before Tuesday's 3-2 loss to the Texas Rangers, and the Seattle Mariners wasted no time filling the void, selecting Connor Joe's contract from Triple-A Tacoma on Wednesday.

Robles, 28, was hurt while throwing from the outfield to the infield before Tuesday's game in Arlington. The Mariners placed him on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to Tuesday, with the right pec strain. It is the latest injury setback for an outfielder who missed 119 games in 2025 after dislocating his left shoulder making a leaping catch into the right-field netting in San Francisco. Through five games this season, Robles was batting .231 (3-for-13) with a double, an RBI, and a stolen base.

Joe, 33, gives the Mariners the kind of roster flexibility they needed in the moment. He spent time at all three outfield spots and first base with the Reds, and his ability to play both corner outfield spots as well as first base was a reason he was called up instead of Patrick Wisdom. With Texas starting left-hander Mackenzie Gore in Wednesday's series finale, Joe was immediately inserted into the starting lineup at first base in place of Josh Naylor.

Joe signed with the Mariners in free agency in February. He had a strong spring, batting .362 with one home run, one triple and six doubles in 47 Cactus League at-bats. He carried that contact into the early weeks at Tacoma, posting a .235/.282/.441 slash line with four doubles, a homer, four RBI, three walks and 10 strikeouts across nine games with the Rainiers.

Joe has appeared in over 480 major league games, splitting time with the San Francisco Giants, Colorado Rockies, Pittsburgh Pirates, San Diego Padres, and Cincinnati Reds over a six-year career. After a couple of seasons in Colorado, Joe showed he was not just a product of Coors Field, posting a 106 wRC+ with the Pirates in 2023.

To clear a spot on the 40-man roster for Joe, the Mariners transferred right-hander Carlos Vargas to the 60-day injured list with a lat strain. The Mariners had initially placed Vargas on the 15-day IL with a right lat strain on March 27. The 26-year-old right-hander was one of Seattle's most-used relievers last season, posting a 3.97 ERA with 54 strikeouts and 23 walks in 77 innings.

With Robles' history of shoulder trouble now compounded by a pectoral issue on the other side, Joe's ability to handle corner outfield duties and first base gives manager Dan Wilson genuine options as Seattle navigates an already thin outfield depth chart.