The Seattle Mariners need Victor Robles for what he can do off the field as much as what he can do on it. Robles returned Saturday night after missing 4 1/2 months with a left shoulder dislocation suffered April 6 in San Francisco while making an acrobatic catch into the protective netting.

Robles hurt the Mariners by throwing his bat at a pitcher, and his 10-game suspension is fair. But he also shouldn’t be blindly dismissed or demonized, writes columnist Mike Vorel.