The Seattle Mariners kept catcher Cal Raleigh out of the lineup for a second consecutive day due to what manager Dan Wilson described on May 17 as “general soreness.” The decision followed Seattle’s 3-2 extra-innings loss to the Kansas City Royals.
Raleigh’s absence was significant enough that the team ordered imaging and chose not to start him again on Sunday. Wilson said, “We’re kind of trying to be as cautious as possible.” When asked about which part of Raleigh’s body was affected, Wilson declined to specify. He added, “Once we find out more about it, tomorrow, we’ll talk about it more.”
Wilson described Raleigh’s status as “day to day,” saying, “So again, once we get a little bit more information, we’ll have a little bit of a better idea.” The Mariners did not use Raleigh in any situation during Saturday’s game despite several opportunities for pinch-hitting. Instead, Rob Refsnyder and Connor Joe filled those roles.
Mitch Garver replaced Raleigh at catcher and hit eighth in the order but went hitless with three strikeouts and made a pickoff attempt that allowed the eventual winning run to advance. Meanwhile, Triple-A Tacoma also scratched its starting catcher Jhonny Pereda around the same time; Pereda was then recalled by Seattle but not directly as a replacement for Raleigh.
The corresponding roster move placed infielder Will Wilson on the 10-day injured list with a fractured left thumb. Pereda has been serving as depth since joining from Minnesota in January and has performed well in Triple-A this season.
Raleigh had started all but one of Seattle’s first 33 games this year and recently improved his offensive production after a slow start. The team is awaiting further information before determining his immediate future in the lineup.
