Cal Raleigh held out of Mariners’ lineup for 3rd straight game

Star catcher Cal Raleigh is out of the Seattle Mariners’ lineup for a third straight game Monday as he deals with soreness in his right side.

Seattle Mariners showing some concerning signs on defense

Mariners insider Shannon Drayer reported Raleigh upped his activity level pregame and said his side was feeling better.

“Everything is good, just taking it day-by-day,” Raleigh told Drayer pregame while recording this week’s edition of The Cal Raleigh Show. “People want to be cautious, understandably, with how early it is in the season.”

"Everything is good, just taking it day by day."

Cal Raleigh discussed how he was feeling this afternoon with @shannondrayer.

Tune in to The Cal Raleigh Show Thursdays @ 5pm w/@WymanAndBob.

[The Cal Raleigh Show is presented by @Puyallup_Tribe] https://t.co/ECHO51y4ED pic.twitter.com/G04pLauYf2

— Seattle Sports (@SeattleSports) May 4, 2026

Manager Dan Wilson told reporters a decision on whether or not Raleigh needs a stint on the injured list should be coming as soon as Tuesday.

“He’s getting himself into a good spot. He’s testing himself a little more today,” Wilson said. “We’ll have more information once we see how he feels after he’s done some work today, and a decision will be forthcoming here within the next day or so.”

Wilson said the team will determine if Raleigh will be available as a pinch-hitter closer to game time Monday night.

Raleigh tweaked his side at some point during the Mariners’ loss to the Royals on Friday night and felt discomfort when he woke up Saturday, which led to him being a late scratch for the middle game of a three-game series and deemed day-to-day with the injury.

Raleigh was held out again Sunday, though he told reporters pregame he was feeling better.

With Raleigh out of the lineup once more Monday for the series opener against the red-hot Atlanta Braves at T-Mobile Park, Mitch Garver is getting the start at catcher and batting eighth, and center fielder Julio Rodríguez is moving up one spot in the order to fill Raleigh’s usual spot batting second.

The lineup also features designated hitter Dominic Canzone batting fifth for the first time this season.

You can see Seattle’s full lineup against Braves right-hander and Bainbridge Island native J.R. Ritchie below.

New series on deck. #TridentsUp pic.twitter.com/mYZBKrZjD1

— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) May 4, 2026

Ritchie, a rookie who pitched seven innings of two-run ball in his MLB debut on April 23, is getting a chance to pitch in his hometown ballpark for the first time in just his third big-league start. The right-hander allowed five runs (four earned) while striking out 11 batters and issuing six walks over 12 1/3 innings in his first two starts.

Ritchie, 22, was a first-round pick (No. 35 overall) by the Braves in the 2022 MLB Draft coming out of Bainbridge High School. He’s ranked as the Braves’ No. 2 prospect and No. 79 in all of baseball by MLB Pipeline.

The Mariners and Braves open a three-game series at T-Mobile Park on Monday at 6:40 p.m. Radio coverage can be heard on Seattle Sports 710 AM and the Seattle Sports app starting with the pregame show at 5:30 p.m.

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