Seattle placed catcher Cal Raleigh on the 10-day injured list with a right oblique strain, the first IL stint of the AL MVP runner-up’s major league career in his sixth season, the report says.
The 29-year-old had been mired in the majors’ longest hitless stretch this season before delivering two singles in Seattle’s 10-2 win over Houston on Tuesday, per the report. He left Wednesday’s 4-3 loss to the Astros in the eighth inning after appearing to aggravate a right-side issue that had already kept him out of three games from May 2-4 with soreness, the report says.
Manager Dan Wilson told reporters that no one wants to be placed on the injured list, particularly Raleigh, and that the move is the prudent course, the report adds.
Through 41 games this season, Raleigh is batting .161 with seven home runs, 18 RBIs, four doubles, 18 walks and 16 runs, per the report. That .161 average ranks as the second-lowest in the majors among hitters with enough at-bats to qualify, with only Tampa Bay outfielder Cedric Mullins at .150 listed lower in the report. Last season, Raleigh led the American League with a Seattle-record 60 home runs and 125 RBIs and finished second in MVP voting to Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees, the report notes.
To fill Raleigh’s roster spot, Seattle recalled catcher Jhonny Pereda from Triple-A Tacoma. Pereda, 30, has appeared in two games with the Mariners this season and is listed at a .400 batting average with a run scored, the report says. The club also sent left-handed pitcher José Suarez to the Oakland A’s for cash considerations; Suarez has appeared in nine games this season for Seattle and Atlanta, going 0-1 with a 6.38 ERA, per the report. The Associated Press contributed to the report.
