Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh has not had the same level of success this season as he had last year when he finished runner-up to New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge for the American League MVP. The All-Star is batting .161 with a .560 OPS in 41 games and went 0-for-36 from April 28 to May 11.
After ending his cold spell with a 2-for-4 performance against the Houston Astros on May 12, Raleigh will miss time as he heads to the injured list for the first time in his big league career. According to Adam Jude of The Seattle Times, Raleigh has a right oblique strain.
According to MLB.com’s Daniel Kramer, catcher Jhonny Pereda is in Houston from Triple-A Tacoma to replace Raleigh. Pereda will likely split time with catcher Mitch Garver, who has underperformed at the plate. Garver is hitting .167 with a .532 OPS in 20 games and has been poor behind the plate (-22 defensive runs saved in 14 games).
Pereda, 30, had two hits in five at-bats for the Mariners in May and had been tearing it up in Triple-A. In 25 games, Pereda was batting .321 with a .831 OPS.
Raleigh’s absence will allow Pereda to showcase his abilities to possibly overtake Gaver as the backup catcher.
Cal Raleigh’s missing time with the Mariners can either help or hurt him moving forward
Having never been on the injured list in his career, Raleigh could use this time away from the Mariners as a mental reset. In May, Raleigh is hitting .056 with a .184 OPS.
Especially after going 0-for-4 after ending his cold streak, some time off wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world for someone who has played 145+ games in each of the last three seasons. However, there is a chance that missing time could hurt Raleigh’s swing, but that will be seen when he returns or goes out on a rehab assignment.