The Seattle Mariners are coming off a sluggish 11-0 loss to the Detroit Tigers on Thursday that cost them the series.
On Friday, they’ll host their third consecutive series at home as the American League-leading Tampa Bay Rays come to town.
Ahead of the matchup, Mariners manager Dan Wilson announced a few lineup changes, including one involving catcher Cal Raleigh.
Mariners Announce Raleigh Decision
Raleigh hasn’t had a great season at the plate by any stretch, and the Mariners left him out of the starting lineup Thursday for the series finale.
However, Raleigh will return to the lineup Friday and start behind the plate, although Wilson will move him down in the order.
Raleigh batted sixth in his most recent appearance Wednesday, but he’ll hit eighth against Tampa Bay on Friday.
Mariners 8/7
T. Ward RF
C. Young 2B
R. Arozarena LF
D. Canzone DH
J. RodrÃguez CF
J. Naylor 1B
B. Donovan 3B
C. Raleigh C
C. Emerson SSL. Gilbert SP
â Underdog MLB (@UnderdogMLB) August 7, 2026
Raleigh’s 2026 Season
After a historic 2025 season in which Raleigh led MLB with 60 home runs and 125 RBIs, finishing second in American League MVP voting behind New York Yankees star Aaron Judge, this season has been a major struggle.
Through 82 games and 302 at-bats, Raleigh is batting just .162, well below the Mendoza Line. He has 12 home runs and 43 RBIs while slugging .308, compared to .589 last season, and owns a .262 OPS after posting a .948 OPS a year ago.
Mariners Right Now
Seattle enters Friday night’s game at 56-60, but the Mariners remain firmly in the mix in what is considered a wide-open American League.
Seattle sits third in the AL West, just 3.0 games behind the division lead and 1.5 games back of a Wild Card spot.
Like HEAVY’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
The post Seattle Mariners Announce Cal Raleigh Decision Before Rays Series appeared first on HEAVY.