This is not an opinion one way or the other.
Basically, his ball came to rest right next to a sprinkler, but not on it. The sprinkler was in a little depression in the fairway, giving him an uneven lie.
By rule, he could not take one-club relief from the sprinkler because it was not affecting stance/swing.
But, because they were playing the ball up, he was able to lift, clean, and place the ball directly on the sprinkler, which then allowed him to take the one-club relief from the sprinkler and drop the ball in a more level lie.