The Seattle Mariners placed star catcher Cal Raleigh on the 10-day injured list Thursday with a right oblique strain. This marks the first trip for Raleigh on the injured list in his MLB career.
On Wednesday, Raleigh exited the bottom of the ninth in the Mariner’s 4-3 loss to the Houston Astros. He looked in pain during the 8th inning, throwing a poor ball on accident that could’ve forced a double play to save the inning.
Seattle Mariners Manager Dan Wilson said the move was precautionary. The team awaited news this morning before making a decision.
The Mariners called up Jhonny Pereda to take Raleigh’s place on the roster while he recovers on the injured list.
Cal Raleigh Injured List Stint Marks Another Chapter in Poor Season
GettyAfter a historic 60 home run season, Raleigh continued to struggle start to 2026.
Last season, Raleigh finished as the AL-MVP runner up where he posted a .247/.359/.589 batting line with 60 home runs. Compared to 2025’s 60 home run extravaganza, Raleigh’s 2026 season shows how much a few months can make a difference. This year, Raleigh bats .161/.243/.317 with 7 home runs.
Recently, Raleigh missed a few games due to right side discomfort. Now that the Mariners placed him on the injured list, they revealed the specifics behinds that pain.
Hopefully, Raleigh takes the minimum amount of time on the injured list, but historically right oblique strains take longer than 10 days to recover from. The Mariners plan to undertake an extended look at Raleigh’s injury when the team returns to Seattle after Thursday’s game.
Raleigh remains one of the iron-mans of the sport and at the catcher position. Over the three previous seasons, he played in over 140 in all of them, an incredibly rare feat for a catcher. It proves possible that Raleigh perhaps maintains a level fatigue from playing so much baseball. The Mariners relied on his bat extensively outside of this season so far.
Certainly, Raleigh’s continued slump and injury are major factors for the Mariners’ current 21-23 record.
What to Expect Moving Forward
GettyWith Raleigh on the injured list, expect a timeshare between Pereda and Mitch Garver.
While Raleigh recovers on the injured list, expect a timeshare between Pereda and Mitch Garver.
Pereda played with the Mariners recently after they called him up from Triple A Tacoma. That occurred while Raleigh rested three games with his injury earlier in the season. In five plate appearances, Pereda accrued two hits and scored a run. Pereda previously played for the Miami Marlins, Minnesota Twins, and the Athletics. He bats .248/.303/.301 for his career. He still needs to hit his first career major league home run.
Garver remains part of the Mariners depth after returning this offseason on a one year deal. So far, Garver mainly bats against left-handed pitching. However, his season has been disappointing. He only bats .167/.344/.188 this season with 0 home runs.
As Raleigh rests on the injured list, the Seattle Mariners now have a massive void in their lineup. Despite his struggles this season, the Mariners need Raleigh back as soon as possible for everything he provides including defensively.
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