HOUSTON — The Seattle Mariners placed catcher Cal Raleigh on the 10-day injured list on Thursday morning with a right oblique strain, the first IL stint of the AL MVP runner-up’s career in his sixth major league season.
The 29-year-old Raleigh was mired in the longest hitless streak in the majors this season before breaking out on Tuesday night with two singles in a 10-2 rout of the Houston Astros.
On Wednesday, Raleigh left the Mariners’ 4-3 loss to Houston in the eighth inning after appearing to aggravate an injury to his right side. Raleigh missed three games from May 2 to May 4 with soreness on his right side.
“Nobody wants to go on the IL, and especially not Cal,” manager Dan Wilson said. “But I think at this point it’s the smart thing to do.”
In 41 games this season, Raleigh is hitting .161 with seven home runs, 18 RBIs, four doubles, 18 walks and 16 runs. His .161 batting average is second-lowest in the majors among hitters with enough at-bats to qualify. Only Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Cedric Mullins (.150) has a lower average.
Raleigh led the AL with a Seattle-record 60 home runs and 125 RBIs last season, finishing second in MVP voting behind the New York Yankees’ Aaron Judge.
To fill Raleigh’s spot on the active roster, the Mariners recalled catcher Jhonny Pereda from Triple-A Tacoma. Pereda, 30, has appeared in two games with Seattle this season, hitting .400 with a run scored.
The Mariners also sent left-handed pitcher José Suarez to the Athletics for cash considerations. Suarez has appeared in nine games for both Seattle and the Atlanta Braves this season, going 0-1 with a 6.38 ERA.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
