SEATTLE - Cal Raleigh, the Seattle Mariners' primary catcher, was a late scratch from Saturday's game against the Kansas City Royals. The team has not provided an official reason for his absence. This development coincided with the recall of catcher Jhonny Pereda from Triple-A Tacoma.
Mitch Garver took Raleigh's place behind the plate and batted eighth in the lineup. Pereda, 30, is now the only other catcher on the Mariners' 40-man roster, besides Raleigh and Garver. He had been performing well in Tacoma, posting a .333 batting average with a .853 OPS across 23 games. Pereda's recall comes after he too was scratched from Tacoma's lineup, suggesting a connection to Raleigh's sudden unavailability.
Raleigh's Season Performance Underscored by Absence
Raleigh, a notable player who was the runner-up for AL MVP last season, has had a statistically slower start to the current season. Through 33 games, he was hitting .186 with seven home runs and 18 runs batted in. His .186/.272/.380 slash line this year contrasts with his previous season's output, where he hit 60 home runs and drove in 125 runs. Prior to Saturday's game, Raleigh had played in every game for the Mariners this season.
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Team Context and Upcoming Games
The Mariners were set to continue a three-game series with the Kansas City Royals at T-Mobile Park. The game was scheduled for 6:40 p.m. Pacific Time, with radio coverage on Seattle Sports 710 AM and the Seattle Sports app. This game follows a slugfest from the previous night and is notable as it coincides with a number retirement ceremony for Randy Johnson. For the Royals, pitcher Seth Lugo was slated to start.
