Seattle Mariners' catcher Cal Raleigh has not played since May 14 after being diagnosed with a right oblique strain and was placed on the 10-day injured list. This is Raleigh's first trip to the injured list in his six season major league career.
The 2025 MVP runner-up was struggling to start his 2026 campaign, posting a horrible .161 batting average and a .560 OPS with seven home runs. A far cry from his 60 home run 2025 season.
Raleigh took his first swings since being on the injured list last Friday in Arizona before receiving another positive update on Wednesday.
The 29-year old will continue to rehab in Seattle while the team is away following the series finale against the New York Mets, as he appears to be nearing a minor league rehab assignment. Along with starting to swing on Friday, he is also ramping up baseball activities in general. Since catching is very demanding on the body, it is important for Raleigh to feel 100 percent before rejoining the team.
In the former All-Star's absence, Seattle has bounced back from their poor start to the season to take the lead in the American League West Division over the Texas Rangers. They are currently riding an eight-game win streak and look to sweep the Mets Wednesday afternoon.
Mitch Garver and Jhonny Pereda have filled in the gaps at the catcher position while Raleigh is rehabbing. Both players have heated up in each of their last seven games, with Garver posting a .807 OPS and Pereda posting a .950 OPS. The stability at catcher in Raleigh's absence is great for the team, as they will not feel the need to rush Raleigh if he is not ready.
While Raleigh was not swinging the bat well prior to his injury, the signs for a breakout are still there. His Bat-Speed and Barrel percentage are above league average, if Raleigh is able to fix his Squared-Up percentage after his return, he could very well get back to a 30 home run pace.
Even if his bat is not performing, he is a plus defender at catcher with a fielding run value of 3, which will make him a valuable player.
There should be more news to come on Raleigh in the coming days while the Mariners take on a three-city road trip.
They look to sweep the Mets in Seattle at 3:40 P.M. on Wednesday.
