Cal Raleigh, the reigning American League MVP runner-up, is heading to the IL for the first time in his career. The Mariners placed him on the 10-day injured list due to a right oblique strain, an injury that first surfaced nearly two weeks ago and was aggravated during the eighth inning of Wednesday's walk-off loss. This is a significant setback for Raleigh, who had been struggling with a .161/.243/.317 slash line, a 31.5% strikeout rate, and a 9.9% walk rate over 181 plate appearances across 41 games. He missed three games earlier this month after the issue first cropped up, but the club felt good enough about his prognosis to avoid the IL. However, his performance has been a cause for concern, with an 0-for-38 stretch that wasn't snapped until Monday. The injury is a blow to the Mariners, who are still trying to climb above .500 for the first time since March 30. In Raleigh's stead, Mitch Garver will see a bulk of the catching duties, though he's also not having much success at the plate. The Mariners will now have to find a way to step up and get the job done without their most important player.
