The Seattle Mariners received an injury boost on Cal Raleigh ahead of Monday’s game against the Oakland Athletics, but the club still plans to move carefully with the All-Star catcher’s recovery.
Manager Dan Wilson revealed that Raleigh resumed light throwing on Memorial Day at the team’s spring training facility in Arizona. The session marked Raleigh’s first baseball activity since the Mariners placed him on the 10-day injured list on May 14 with a right oblique strain. It is the first time in his career that Raleigh has landed on the injured list.
According to MLB.com’s Daniel Kramer, who covers the Mariners, Wilson said the team is pleased with Raleigh’s progress but does not want to rush his recovery due to the nature of the injury. The manager explained that Raleigh already spent time rebuilding strength and working through rotational exercises before starting throwing activities.
He added that the catcher remains on schedule with the recovery timeline the team expected. Raleigh has not started catching drills or swinging a bat yet and will stay in Arizona for now as he continues rehab work. Once he moves closer to a minor league rehab assignment, the Mariners will likely bring him back to work more closely with the major league training staff.
The 28-year-old finished second in American League MVP voting last season after one of the best offensive years by a catcher in baseball. This season has been different for him. Raleigh entered the injured list batting .161 with seven home runs, 18 RBIs, and a .617 OPS across 37 games.
He also endured a difficult 0-for-38 stretch earlier in the season as Seattle’s offense struggled to find consistency. The Mariners entered Memorial Day with a 25-29 record, sitting second in the American League West standings but already trailing the division lead by several games.
Seattle hoped to build on last season’s momentum, but injuries and inconsistent hitting slowed the club during the first two months of the season. Despite Raleigh’s absence, Seattle has managed to remain competitive at catcher.
Mitch Garver and Jhonny Pereda have handled the workload over the last 10 games and combined for a .790 OPS during that stretch. Pereda delivered one of the team’s biggest hits of the week when he homered in a win against the Chicago White Sox last Wednesday. Garver followed with a key two-run homer Friday against the Kansas City Royals.
Garver has appeared in 33 games this season and entered Monday batting .233 with five home runs and 17 RBIs. Pereda has played a smaller role but continues to provide depth while Raleigh remains sidelined.
Seattle also continues to rely heavily on its pitching staff to stay in games. The Mariners carried a 3.71 team ERA into Monday, ranking among the better marks in the American League.
