Mariners Place Catcher Cal Raleigh on Injured List With Right Oblique Strain

Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh was placed on the injured list for the first time in his six major league seasons with a right oblique strain, ESPN reported. Raleigh took his first swings off a tee on Friday at the Mariners' spring training complex in Arizona and caught a bullpen session there. He was in Seattle on Sunday ahead of the Mariners' game against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Raleigh said he does not yet know when he will begin a rehab assignment but hopes that will change within a few days. He said he should have a more firm timeline for his recovery by the middle of the upcoming week, which could include getting into rehab games. "I'd like to try to get going as soon as possible," Raleigh said.

Raleigh said he expects to be based in Seattle as he continues his rehab. He said it initially didn't feel real when working out at the Mariners' spring training complex after being placed on the injured list for the first time. Raleigh said he is focused on getting healthy as quickly as possible rather than trying to play through the pain.

"(I'm) trying to be smart about getting back as quick as I can but making sure that this thing doesn't linger for the rest of the year," he said. From April 28 to May 12, 2026, Raleigh went 0 for 38, the longest hitless streak in the majors this season. He broke the hitless streak with two singles in a 10-2 rout of Houston.

161 with seven home runs, 18 RBIs, four doubles, 18 walks and 16 runs. The Mariners entered Sunday with a 1 1/2-game lead in the AL West. Raleigh, last year's American League MVP runner-up, said realizing how much he misses playing has been eye-opening.

"It has been a different kind of perspective," Raleigh said.