Cal Raleigh was back in the Mariners lineup Tuesday, May 5, 2026, but only as the designated hitter, a return that gave Seattle its most productive bat after he missed the last three games with general soreness. The Mariners still had to keep Mitch Garver behind the plate against a right-handed pitcher, while Dominic Canzone stayed on the bench because Raleigh was limited to DH.
George Kirby started for Seattle against Bryce Elder and a Braves lineup described by the club’s broadcast crew as one of the most potent in baseball. Kirby came in with a 56.5% ground ball rate and a 2.84 xERA in 2026, numbers that have put him among the top 10 in baseball and made this a difficult assignment even before the first pitch.
For viewers looking for where to watch Atlanta Braves vs Seattle Mariners, the game was on Mariners TV, with Aaron Goldsmith and Dave Valle on the television call and Angie Mentink as the field analyst. The radio broadcast aired on Seattle Sports 710 AM, with Rick Rizzs and Aaron Goldsmith handling the coverage there.
The tension for Seattle was not just Kirby’s matchup with Atlanta. It was whether Raleigh’s bat could return before his body did, and whether the Mariners could manage the lineup around him without losing too much at catcher or at designated hitter. That balance is the difference between easing a star back into the order and asking him to carry the game before he is fully ready.
Raleigh’s return told the story of the night: Seattle wanted his offense in the lineup badly enough to bring him back, but not badly enough to push him back behind the plate. If the Mariners are going to get the best out of him this week, they will have to keep making that same trade-off.