Cal Raleigh was out of the Seattle Mariners’ starting lineup for the third straight game Monday because of a sore right side, leaving the club to wait on MRI results and decide whether its top catcher will need a stint on the injured list.
Manager Dan Wilson said Raleigh began feeling the soreness after Friday night’s game against the Kansas City Royals, then was a late scratch Saturday. Raleigh said he never felt one specific moment when the injury happened and that he was “playing it safe” on the recommendation of the team’s training staff.
Wilson said Raleigh was testing himself a little more Monday and that the club would know more after seeing how he responded to some work. “I think he’s getting himself into a good spot,” Wilson said. “He’s testing himself a little more today. We’ll have more information once we see how he feels after he’s done some work today.”
Seattle had not made a decision on the injured list as of Monday, but Wilson said one would come soon. “A decision will be forthcoming here within the next day or so,” he said. He also would not say whether Raleigh might be available off the bench against the Atlanta Braves that night, adding that such a call would come closer to game time.
The pause comes at a sensitive point for Raleigh, who was the runner-up for AL MVP last season after hitting 60 homers and driving in 125 runs. He entered Monday batting.186 with seven homers and 18 RBIs through 33 games, but five of those homers came in his past 15 games, a sign he had started to heat up before the sore side forced him out.
For the Mariners, the next day or so should clarify whether Raleigh is dealing with a brief setback or something that will put one of their most dangerous bats on the shelf longer. For Raleigh, it is a reminder that the swing that helped drive last year’s breakout can’t help the team if he cannot stay in the lineup.