The Seattle Mariners’ championship aspirations hit a significant speed bump on Thursday as the club announced that star catcher Cal Raleigh has been placed on the 10-day injured list with a right oblique strain. The move, effective immediately, marks a somber milestone for the 29-year-old backstop: it is the first time in Raleigh’s six-year Major League career that he has been sidelined by an official injury designation.
The decision comes at a tumultuous time for both the player and the organization. Raleigh, who ascended to superstar status in 2025 as the American League MVP runner-up after a historic 60-homerun campaign, has found the 2026 season to be an arduous uphill climb. Through 41 games, the “Big Dumper” has been mired in a slump of historic proportions, batting just .161 with a .560 OPS.
The injury occurred during the late stages of Wednesday night’s 4-3, 10-inning loss to the Houston Astros. Raleigh, who had been battling visible discomfort throughout the series, was forced to exit the game in the ninth inning. According to Mariners manager Dan Wilson, the injury appeared to be aggravated during a defensive play.
“He had to change directions quickly, and it kind of grabbed on him there,” Wilson told reporters at Daikin Park. “With an oblique, it’s always tricky. It jumps up on you, and you realize very quickly that it’s time to take a step back and get fully healthy. Nobody wants to go on the IL, and especially not Cal, but at this point, it’s the smart thing to do.”
This is not the first time Raleigh’s right side has caused concern this month. He previously missed a three-game stretch from May 2 to May 4 due to soreness in the same area. While he returned to the lineup following that brief hiatus, the persistent nature of the discomfort suggests the initial issue never truly resolved.
Raleigh’s physical ailment has coincided with a brutal stretch at the plate. Before Tuesday’s game, Raleigh was trapped in a career-worst 0-for-38 hitless streak—the longest in the Major Leagues this season. The drought was so pronounced that it began to flirt with the five longest hitless streaks in MLB history.
There was a brief glimmer of hope on Tuesday night when Raleigh snapped the skid with two singles during a 10-2 rout of the Astros. The Mariners’ dugout erupted in a choreographed celebration to welcome their leader back to the hit column, a moment many hoped would signal a turning point in his season. However, the relief was short-lived, as the oblique strain flared up less than 24 hours later.
The loss of Raleigh cannot be overstated. Beyond his power—he has managed seven home runs this year despite the low average—he is the undisputed engine of the Mariners’ defense. Since his debut in July 2021, Raleigh has logged 4,747 1/3 innings behind the plate, the most of any American League catcher in that span. Only J.T. Realmuto and Will Smith have caught more innings league-wide during that timeframe.
In his absence, the Mariners will turn to veteran Mitch Garver to handle the bulk of the catching duties. Garver, in his third year with Seattle, has also struggled at the plate, hitting just .167 across 20 games. To provide depth, the club recalled journeyman catcher Jhonny Pereda from Triple-A Tacoma. In corresponding roster moves, the Mariners reinstated left-hander Jose Ferrer from the paternity list and optioned Josh Simpson to Tacoma.
The timeline for Raleigh’s return remains murky as the team awaits the results of further imaging. Oblique injuries are notoriously fickle, often requiring more than the minimum 10 days to ensure a full recovery without the risk of re-aggravation.
For a Mariners squad currently sitting at 21-23 and fighting for position in a crowded AL West, losing their emotional leader and top power threat is a devastating blow. The hope within the clubhouse is that this forced hiatus will allow Raleigh not only to heal his side but also to reset mentally, potentially returning as the MVP-caliber force that defined the 2025 season. As Manager Dan Wilson noted, “He’s got a chance to get himself right and come back with a lot of the season left to play.”
